Yumemiru
by Chikara
Summary: He was teen idol, an actor, a star. She was a high-school student stuck in a world that was obsessed with him and for that she loathed him. [complete]
1. Chapter One

Chapter One  
  
"You guys, shh. He's about to come in."  
  
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh."  
  
"Oh! There he is!"  
  
"He's so kawaii."  
  
"Kawaii? Yuki-chan, how can you even think that? Kawaii? Kawaii is for your teddy bear. Chiba Mamoru is hot! Not only that, but he's the hottest thing alive!"  
  
"Agreed. He could beat out the sun any day. Kioko-chan, you are a genius."  
  
"I know, dear. I know."  
  
"You guys, what's he saying?"  
  
"Huh? He's saying something? Wow."  
  
"I guess so. His voice is so nice."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
I rolled my eyes at my friends' antics as they stared dreamily at the television screen. Or rather, the ebony-haired boy on the television screen.  
  
"Kuri-chan, freeze it!"  
  
Immediately the long haired brunette raised her hand and frantically pushed down on the pause button of the remote she held. All action on the television stopped, a close up of Chiba Mamoru filling the view. A chorus of sighs followed.  
  
I couldn't resist it any longer. I gave into the oh-so-sweet temptation of gagging. It was so sad, so sappy. so utterly pathetic.  
  
The three swooning girls sitting next to me snapped their heads towards my petite figure.  
  
"What?" Kuri asked innocently.  
  
"Do you guys realize how pathetic this is?" I questioned. "You're practically worshipping him like he's a god or something."  
  
"He could be to me," Kioko commented with another sigh.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh, whatever you say."  
  
"What? An you don't think he's hot?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Not even just a little?"  
  
"Uh-uh."  
  
"Not even just a teeny-weeny, little bit."  
  
"Well," I hesitated as I sneaked a quick glance at the screen. "I guess he is just a little bit kawaii."  
  
I winced inwardly. 'Nice going, Tsukino. Way to go get 'em."  
  
"I'm glad you're finally beginning to see the light, Usagi-chan," Kioko smugly stated, a twinkle in her emerald eyes. "Although, Kawaii is-"  
  
"I know, I know. Kawaii is for teddy bears. Mamoru is hot," I recited with minuscule enthusiasm. "But seriously, you're all completely infatuated with the guy yet you know nothing about him other than the fact that he somewhat good-looking."  
  
"Birthday, August third."  
  
"Favourite food, chocolate."  
  
"Favourite colour, black."  
  
"Favourite class, physics."  
  
"Favourite flower, rose."  
  
"Blood type, A."  
  
I groaned. " I meant his personality. For all we know he could be some crazy, two-faced, moronic, annoying, insane, self-centered, maniacal, egotistical freak-of-nature that only pretends to be nice in interviews for publicity. Remember? 'Look like th' innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't. Don't you remember?"  
  
The trio watched in silence as they waiting for me to take a breath. After giving me some time to recover, Kuri spoke.  
  
"I doubt it," she said simply, "and please don't quote Macbeth anymore. It brings back bad memories." She shivered as if to emphasize her point. Then she grinned. "Besides, Mamoru's too cute for that."  
  
And with that, Kuri, Kioko, and Yuki turned their attention back to the movie.  
  
Glancing at the screen, I stared hard and long at the profile of the debated man in an attempt to see what they saw. But there was no such luck.  
  
'Yup,' I smiled inwardly to myself. 'Probably just a complete, egotistical jerk.'  
  
More dreamy sighs from the other girls broke my train of thought.  
  
There was just way too much sighing going on today.  
  
- - -  
  
"Be sure to call me tonight, okay?" I said as my house came into view. "I want all the details."  
  
"Of course, I'll call you," Yuki replied. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything else. Sorry you can't some with us to the concert."  
  
I sighed. "Me too, but what can you do. My parents really wanted me to say home tonight. Even though I don't really know what yet, they wouldn't have called me at school id it wasn't a big deal. Oh well, there'll be another Three Lights concert someday."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
We finally reached my driveway. "Well, I gotta go now. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Yuki nodded. "Ja!"  
  
"Ja ne, Usagi-chan!"  
  
Yuki continued on towards her own home. Meanwhile, I turned off the sidewalk and onto the stone path leading up to our front porch. I slipped my hand into the pocket of my navy blue skirt. After digging around for a second, I found my key and pulled it out. Carefully I slid it into the brass lock of the front door. I was about to turn it clockwise when the door opened, causing me to momentarily lose me balance.  
  
I immediately look up to see who had beaten me to opening the door, only to be greeted by a pair of laughing midnight blue eyes that I didn't recognize. Confusion was an understatement.  
  
Taking a step back, I checked the house number beside the door. The stranger chuckled.  
  
"Don't worry. You've got the right house." He smiled, revealing a perfect set of pearly whites.  
  
Suspiciously I raised my right eyebrow. He didn't look that much older than me, maybe just a few years.  
  
Retrieving my key from the lock, I lightly pushed my way past the young man and into the house. I slipped off my shoes, then placed them off to the side where some other pairs had already been put.  
  
I glanced up again. The stranger was still watching me. I made a quick face to let him know that I had noticed his staring before striding off to the kitchen. Not surprisingly, he followed me.  
  
I set my suitcase down next to a stool and headed towards the refrigerator. Cool air swam out at me as I opened the freezer to pull out a box of cheese cake. Strawberry cheesecake. Mm-mm, good. Nothing beats strawberries. Nothing.  
  
Carefully I placed a slice on a small, white plate which I carried to the kitchen island.  
  
"So," I began, acknowledging the dark-haired young man, "who are you?"  
  
I nonchalantly took a bite of the tempting treat set before me.  
  
I waited for his answer, but none came. Puzzled, I switched my gaze up. Shock was plastered all over his face.  
  
"What?" I asked defensively. "Haven't you ever seen a girl eat cheesecake before?"  
  
"Yes-wait no! I mean yes, of course I have."  
  
"Then what's with the 'You Crazy' look?" I asked.  
  
Man, this guy was getting weird.  
  
"I guess I just though that you would recognize me."  
  
Oh-kay, scratch that idea. The guys was insane.  
  
"Riight," I said, "but you never answered my original question."  
  
"What question."  
  
"The one about who you are."  
  
"Oh yeah," he paused before he continued. "You mean you really don't know who I am?"  
  
"No, so who are you?" I repeated. Annoyance was starting to creep up on me.  
  
His replied was short. "Chiba Mamoru."  
  
"Chiba Mamoru. Chiba. Chiba." I quietly repeated the name to myself. It did sound vaguely familiar.  
  
I inspected 'Chiba Mamoru' closely for the first time that day. My eyes unconsciously squinted slightly. Tall. Deep Blue eyes. Nicely built. Ebony hair. Chiba.  
  
Suddenly it clicked. "The actor guy?" It was more of a statement than a question."  
  
"Yeah," Mamoru smiled. "The actor guy."  
  
"So what would the great almighty Chiba Mamoru be doing in our humble town of Toya?"  
  
"Actually, it was my mother's idea. She thinks that I've been getting too much stress from everything that's going on-acting, the media, school. you know, the works. And then last month, I came down with the flu. She went ballistic." He chuckled as he reminisced. "That's when she decided to put her foot down about me going on vacation. What was I supposed to do? She gave me the guilt trip.  
  
"Anyway, turns out my mother and you mother have been best friends since childhood. They just haven't been able to meet lately because of distance and the fact that they both live pretty busy lifestyles. But, they still talk on the phone every once in a while. My mother mentioned the whole issue one day. Your mother though that Toya would be a great place to relax since it's outside of the media's focus. My mother heartily agreed and so boom. I'm here." Mamoru grinned. "It was a pretty last minute decision."  
  
"Fun, fun." At least the guy wasn't a psycho. "You want some cheesecake?"  
  
Mamoru eyed the half-eaten piece on my plate. "What kind is it?"  
  
"Mom's homemade specialty. Strawberry and chocolate combo. It's good. You should try it," I recommended, taking another bite.  
  
"Chocolate?" Mamoru's ears perked up. "You've got me sold. Sure, I'll have a piece please," he said, adding a thanks when I handed over the desired object.  
  
I nodded in reply and watched as he took his first bite.  
  
He closed his eyes, savouring the bite. "This is really good," he commented.  
  
"Uh-huh," I agreed, once more talking another bite.  
  
"You're Usagi, right?"  
  
"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked in wonder. Even though I didn't worship him like my friends, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of pride that Chiba Mamoru, the highly acclaimed actor, knew my name.  
  
"You mother told me. She also mentioned what you looked like that I'd know who you were when you came home." He gestured towards the family pictures surrounding the area. "Then I found those."  
  
"Oh." I picked at my food with a fork and meekly continued, "Sorry about not introducing myself earlier. I guess I was just a little shocked."  
  
"Hey, don't sweat it. It's not every day an unknown person pops up alone in your home when you return from school," he said cheerily. Then added in a low voice, "Or is it?" Mamoru wiggled his eyebrow.  
  
I laughed lightly. "Nope not at all."  
  
"That's what I thought." He winked.  
  
Smiling, I turned my attention back to the cheesecake.  
  
I was almost finished when Mamoru spoke again. "You know what?" He asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
He paused for a moment, appearing to be in though. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Never mind."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just forget I mention it, okay?" He replied, still donning a smirk.  
  
"That's not fair!" I exclaimed. "You can't do that!"  
  
"Of course I can." He grinned.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Okay, okay. Time out," he finally gave in, holding his hands together to made a 'T.' "I was just thinking is all."  
  
"Thinking about what?"  
  
"Well," he hesitated, "don't take this the wrong way, but your hair reminds me a lot of odangos."  
  
I instantly saw red. My cherished hairstyle had been insulted. "Odangos?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Hey," he threw his hands up," I meant it in a good way. If you just fixed a few things, you could be really big with guys. Do you have a boyfriend?"  
  
My eyes widened. "Excuse me? Fix a few things? Maybe you should fix your brain first."  
  
"I didn't mean it like that," Mamoru pleaded. "I just meant change a few things like a small makeover."  
  
"You think I'm ugly?" I questioned in a low voice.  
  
"Uh-uh," Mamoru said nervously, probably realizing he'd gotten himself into hot water. Actually, forget hot. Boiling is more like it. "Usagi-san, I didn't mean it like that. You're twisting my words. Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was just being stupid."  
  
I shook my head slowly, realizing what was happening. "No," I said, dangerously calm, "it's okay. I shouldn't have jumped all over what you said. It's my fault."  
  
"Usa-"  
  
"It's okay," I interrupted him. "Don't worry about it. Let's just forget about the whole things, okay."  
  
Mamoru nodded mutely as I grabbed my suitcase which sat beside my stool. Silently, I pulled out some homework and began vigorously working. Mamoru was left to stare around the room.  
  
It was a relatively large kitchen with wooden cabinetry. Okaasan always loved maple wood. Adjoining it was an open dining area which had an entire wall of glass, a combination of a sliding door and full-sized window pannels. That had been Otousan's idea. The glass wall overlooked a huge backyard for a house in Japan. It was complete with a playground set and a pool surrounded by cherry blossom and Japanese maple trees. I always loved watching the trees during the spring from the kitchen. Even the most gentle breeze would create a rain of pale petals.  
  
It remained like that for the next few hours; me studying and Mamoru glancing aimlessly around the room. Every once in a while I would feel his gaze land on me, but it was be gone as quickly as it had come.  
  
At about half past six, I heard the garage door open and a car pull in. I figured my parents were home.  
  
It wasn't long until my brother, a small boy of about ten, came barreling into the room. He headed straight for Mamoru after giving me a wave.  
  
"It's true! It's true!" he shouted. "Mika's gonna freak when I tell her! Wow. A real, live actor living in our house. This is so cool!" My little brother enthusiastically stuck out his hand. "My name's Shingo, by the way."  
  
Mamoru chuckled and shook Shingo's hand. "I'm Chiba Mamoru."  
  
My brother's brown eyes lit up like the Tokyo Tower at night. "I already know that! Your face is everywhere, Chiba-san. You're the coolest!"  
  
"Arigatou, Shingo-san, demo just call me Mamoru."  
  
"Hai, Mamoru-san," Shingo obeyed, dazed with amazement. He raised his baseball glove which coveted a ball. "Wanna play?"  
  
"Shingo, maybe you should let Mamoru rest first."  
  
I turned my gaze towards the doorway to see my parents enter.  
  
"Hai, Otousan," Shingo said disappointedly. His hand dropped to his side.  
  
Mamoru stood from his stool and mother greeted him with a hug. "Oh, you've grown so much since I last saw you. I hope the ride wasn't too bad."  
  
The ebony-haired man smiled as he engaged in a conversation with my parents. The more they talked, the more interesting my homework became. Something that very rarely happened, but you know what they say; There's a first time for everything.  
  
"Domo arigatou for letting me stay here," I heard Mamoru say. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take up Shingo-san's offer. I've been resting since I got here."  
  
"Really?" My little brother asked incredulously. The excitement was returning to him.  
  
"Sure," Mamoru replied.  
  
My father gave his approval and the two headed out the sliding door. When they left, I finally looked up from my paper. I spun a pencil between my fingers wile I watched. They ran out into an open area close to the far end of the yard. Then the two began to toss the baseball back and forth.  
  
'Yup,' I sighed, 'definitely and egotistical jerk. Definitely.'  
  
And with that thought in mind, I turned back to the math equations that were laid out in front of me. 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
The familiar sounds and smells of video games and food flooded my senses the second I entered the Crown.  
  
"Usagi-chan!" I head Kioko call.  
  
I turned and saw her sitting in a window booth with Yuki and Kuri. Her arms flailed about in the air.  
  
A smile broke out on my face as I gave her my trademark wave. Kuri had once called it a window-washer wave. She teased me lightly about it, but a mere month later I caught her giving the so-called "window-washer" wave to someone. Believe me; I made sure she knew that I had noticed.  
  
"Konnichi, minna!" I greeted happily as I slid onto the bench across from Yuki. "What's up?"  
  
"What's up?!" Kioko exclaimed, her eyes widening. "What's up?! Usagi-chan, how could you?"  
  
I winced at her volume. Even from across the table, it made my ears ring.  
  
"What?" I asked, completely puzzled by her sudden outburst. Beside me, Kuri shook her head sadly. "What?" I repeated, a little louder than before.  
  
Yuki replied in a quiet voice. "I can't believe you didn't tell us."  
  
"Tell you what? You guys, help me out here," I begged.  
  
I know my friends can be weird sometimes, heck I can be too, but this was way beyond weird. This was downright creepy.  
  
"Usagi-chan, how could you not tell us about Chiba Mamoru?"  
  
"Oh. him," I said dryly.  
  
"Yes, him," said Kuri. "I can't believe we had to find out from you brother."  
  
I shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."  
  
"Not that big of a deal?! Not that big of a deal?! This is Chiba Mamoru we are talking about," Kioko shrieked. Is it just me or is the girl repeating herself a lot lately. "Hot, rich Chiba Mamoru. How is that not a big deal?!"  
  
I began to feel multiple eyes burn into my head and slowly slid down the bench. "Kioko, people are starting to stare." My eye skimmed around the room.  
  
"Usagi-chan," Kioko said in a quieter voice, "you know we love you like a sister, but we're a tad hurt that you'd keep this from us. We thought we were your friends."  
  
"You guys are," I assured her, "but seriously Chiba Mamoru is no big deal."  
  
Kuri turned to her side and bent underneath the table. When she popped back up, she placed a magazine in front of her. I identified it as a popular teen magazine.  
  
"Look. How can he not be a big deal?" Kuri asked. "He's so hot. Don't tell me you don't think so."  
  
Two deep blue orbs gazed back at me from the magazine cover. I sighed. "I thought we'd already been through this. He's just kawaii."  
  
"Kawaii?" Three pairs of eyes immediately locked onto me.  
  
"Yes, kawaii."  
  
It was at that moment that Motoki decided to show up. "Konnichi, Usagi- chan, minna. What can I get you girls today?" The cheery dirt-blonde asked. He held a small notepad in his left hand and a pencil in his right.  
  
"Motoki-san, what do you think?" Kuri slid the magazine across the table.  
  
After putting his notepad down, Motoki placed the pencil behind his ear. Then he picked up the magazine. "What about it?" He asked, flipping though the pages.  
  
"Just the cover," Yuki informed him.  
  
Motoki closed the magazine and stared at the front casually. "Okay." he said slowly, waiting fro someone to tell him what he was looking for.  
  
"Do you think he's hot?" Kioko bluntly asked.  
  
"What?!" The magazine instantly dropped from Motoki's grip as if it were on fire and would burn his fingers.  
  
I stifled a giggle.  
  
"Well, do you?" Kuri said.  
  
"I'm a guy!"  
  
"But that's not the point."  
  
"I'm not gay."  
  
"And I'm not saying you are. But, what if you were or if you were a girl, would you think he was hot?"  
  
"What the-"  
  
"Just answer the question, Motoki-san."  
  
I watched the exchange go back and forth. Distress dominated the older boy's features.  
  
"Maybe if-I don't know! Stop pressuring me!" He yelled, throwing his arms up into the air. Then he quickly stalked off, his notebook was forgotten.  
  
"Nice going guys," I said after his departure.  
  
Kuri shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault he's part of the male species." She smirked.  
  
"So are we still on for tonight?" Yuki asked. "I mean since you have a guest there and all."  
  
"Sure," I replied. "I don't see why not."  
  
"This is going to be so much fun!" Kioko said gleefully.  
  
Kuri's head rapidly bobbed up and down in agreement.  
  
Curiously, I grabbed the pad that Motoki had left behind. It was the usual order sheet. Having worked at Crown the previous summer, I quickly recognized it.  
  
Maybe I could save Motoki some trouble.  
  
I dug through my little brown-leather backpack for any sort of writing utensil. It took some rummaging, but I finally came across a black pen. I then took out table's orders and headed towards the counter. Motoki was there serving another customer.  
  
He took a quick glance in my direction, then nodded to let me know that he would be with me soon. I smiled back.  
  
Setting the pad down, I took a seat on the cherry red stool. Surveying the line, I though he might be a while so I rested my arms on the counter, placed my head down, and waited.  
  
---  
  
"Usagi-chan? Hello? Usagi-chan?" I felt three light taps on my shoulder.  
  
My eyes gradually opened and I groggily lifted my head. I saw a young man standing before me.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"It's me, Motoki. I think you fell asleep."  
  
"Fell asleep?" I repeated confused. Then I remembered everything, "Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How long have I been out?"  
  
"Ahh," Motoki thoughtfully glanced towards the wall clock, then the ceiling. "I'd say about ten minutes."  
  
"Ten minutes?! Are the girls still here?" What if they thought I had ditched them? What if they left?  
  
Motoki look over my shoulder. "They're still here. What did you want to talk to me about?" He asked in his usual amiable manner.  
  
"Oh yeah," I slid the pad forward. "I got everyone's orders. I figured it might be a little uncomfortable for you to come back to the table. So, I took the liberty of getting them. Wouldn't want you to lose some income for the day." I gave a light laugh.  
  
Motoki smile. "Domo."  
  
"Well I better get back. They're probably wondering what happened."  
  
"Hai. Ja, Usagi-chan!"  
  
"Ja, Motoki-kun!"  
  
With a wave, I hopped of the stool and headed towards the designated table. The second I took a seat, I was under interrogation.  
  
"What took you so long, Usagi-chan?"  
  
"Yeah, we missed you."  
  
"Sorry, guys," I apologized. "I sort of dozed off for awhile."  
  
Yuki gave me a concerned look. "Aren't you getting enough sleep at night?"  
  
"Yeah. It's just last night, I guess. I had to help Mamoru out since he's new and all."  
  
"Ah," Kioko said knowingly. Something that deeply disturbed me. "Chiba-san kept you awake did he? I thought you didn't like him."  
  
My eyes widened and my cheeks burned. "Kioko-chan! Get your mind out of the gutter. I was just showing him around because my mom told me to."  
  
"Sure, Usagi-chan, whatever you say." Kioko gave me a sly wink.  
  
A wink! Can you believe that girl? She had the audacity to wink at me, but no, not just any wink. It had to be a "sly" one.  
  
I threw her an evil eye. Although the fact that I had just woken up made it lose some of its power so I ended up sticking my tongue out as well for good measure.  
  
"Hey, Usagi-chan?"  
  
"Hai, Kuri-chan?"  
  
"What's Chiba-san really like?"  
  
I sighed. Should've seen this one coming.  
  
"Well, Kuri-chan, it's like I said before. A complete egotistical jerk, or baka. You take your pick."  
  
- - -  
  
"Usagi, phone!"  
  
"Hai, Okaasan!" I dashed towards the living room which housed the nearest phone. "I've got it," I announced, picking up the cordless receiver.  
  
"Moshi, moshi."  
  
I heard the click signaling that my mother had hung up.  
  
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh."  
  
"Kioko-chan?"  
  
"Hai, Konnichi. I was just lying on my bed, staring around the room, and it hit me, Usagi-chan. It hit me."  
  
Worry and concern inundated me. My hand's grip on the phone tightened. "What hit you, Kioko-chan? Are you hurt?"  
  
"Chiba Mamoru."  
  
"Mamoru?"  
  
Someone up there must really hate me, because it was at that exact moment that Mamoru waltzed into the room. Having heard his name, he raised his eyebrow. I glared, then threw a couch pillow at him. Apparently, he got the hint and continued out of the room.  
  
"Hai. It finally hit me that I was going to meet Chiba Mamoru."  
  
Figures it would be about something like this. Relieved, I fell back onto a sleek black lazy boy.  
  
"Well just be sure to remember I warned you when you're disappointed because he's not all he's cracked up to be."  
  
"Usagi-chan, why don't you give the guy a chance?"  
  
"I've given up front row seats to a Three Lights concert for him. Front row, Kioko-chan. Do you have any idea how hard those were to get? And then, just a few hours before the concert, I had to give them up. You want to know why? Because someone had to keep that baka company. I already gave him a chance and he blew it."  
  
I wasn't until after I had stopped speaking that I noticed how heavy my breathing had gotten.  
  
"Okay, okay. I get it, but just consider giving the guy another chance sometime. Maybe, he's not as bad as you think. I know you'll disagree with me now, but just think about it, okay?"  
  
"Fine. I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything more."  
  
"That's all I ask," she paused. "So is everything ready."  
  
I visualized the game room in my mind. "Yeah, just about. You're bringing the movies right?"  
  
"Yup, and Yuki and Kuri are bringing some more food supplies."  
  
"Great."  
  
From a few rooms away, I heard my little brother call me. "Well, I've gotta get going; Have to say good bye to Shingo before he leaves."  
  
"Okay. I'll see you later tonight then."  
  
"Hai, ja ne."  
  
"Jamata, Usagi-chan."  
  
Pressing the power button, I set the phone back on the charger. Then I set off for the foyer. Mamoru was already standing there, cradling a glass of orange juice in one hand.  
  
"Usagi!"  
  
I knelt down as Shingo jumped me. Smiling I engulfed him in a hug. When I pulled back, I playfully ruffled his brown hair.  
  
"Have fun and be good. I'll be at you game tomorrow."  
  
"Hai, oneesan!"  
  
"Okay, time to go Shingo." My mother took Shingo's hand. "We have to leave now or else we'll be late for practice. Take care, Usagi. And Mamoru, just make yourself at home."  
  
"Arigatou, Tsukino-san. Sayonara."  
  
We watched my mother and brother get into the family car and depart for the nearby baseball fields. The garage door closed with a low rumble.  
  
"So what's the big occasion?" Mamoru asked while we started walking to the game room. Or rather, I walked to the game room and he followed.  
  
"No occasion."  
  
"The why the party?"  
  
"It's not really a party. A few of the girls are just coming over for a sleepover. We do it every month, rotating the places where we hold it."  
  
He responded with a soft, "Oh."  
  
When we entered the room, I went straight towards the coffee table where several bowls and bags of chips were laid out. Mamoru, meanwhile, remained at the door.  
  
"What time are you going to leave?" I asked, opening a bag of sour cream and chives potato chips. The silence was killing me.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
I poured the chips into a large bowl. "What time are you going to leave?"  
  
"I heard you the first time," Mamoru replied. Even though the words may have com out harsh if someone else was to say the same phrase, his tone took away the sharp edges. "Why would I leave? Do you want me to leave? Am I really that bad?"  
  
I looked up from my work and took a good look at Mamoru. He was simply dressed in a par of khakis and a black polo shirt. His eyes begged me for answers. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt.  
  
"I just figured, since it was a bunch of girls, you wouldn't want to hang around."  
  
"I have no problem with being around girls."  
  
"I didn't think so," I said, remembering all the female fans he had.  
  
"Then what's the problem?" Mamoru leaned casually against the door frame. He folded his arms.  
  
"You don't understand. To these girls, you're a god."  
  
He grinned. "Glad you finally see my greatness."  
  
"Baka. But seriously, they're not going to be acting normal, not that they really have since they found out that you arrived."  
  
"You were talking about me? I'm touched, Usagi-chan. Only good thing, I hope."  
  
"Well keep on hoping," I told him, returning to putting the chips into bowls. "Look, you're a busy actor guy. Don't you have somewhere to be?"  
  
"Nope, not really."  
  
I groaned. In the words of the great Shinigami, This is so not cool.  
  
As I was finishing up with the snacks, the doorbell rang.  
  
"I'll get that," Mamoru said and left the room.  
  
Standing up, I gathered all of the empty containers, then tossed them into the trash. It was only seconds later when I heard a scream emit from downstairs.  
  
'Sounds like Kioko's here,' I thought to myself.  
  
Then I began to hear voices. Gradually they became louder and louder until finally Mamoru appeared in the doorway with a babbling, green-eyed girl hanging onto his arm. He sent me a face that distinctly said "Help me," but I just chuckled and greeted my friend. Her shoulder-length hair was light brown, highlighted with natural blonde streaks. It shook as she chattered away.  
  
Before I had a chance to speak again, Kuri and Yuki pranced into the room.  
  
"Hey, Usagi-chan! We rang the bell, but nobody answered. Then Yuki realized that the door was open so we let ourselves in. Hope you don't mi-" She froze in mid sentence when she saw the tall, ebony-haired man in the room. "Oh my gosh. Chiba-san! It is such a pleasure to finally meet you." Kuri dropped everything she was holding. She then took Mamoru's hand and vigorously shook it with both of her own. "I loved you in 'Eternal Butterfly.' It was so sad when Kyoshi died. I cried so hard."  
  
"Hai, you did a wonderful job," Yuki piped in, her pale blue eyes glazed over in astonishment. "Will you take a picture with me, Mamoru-san?" She asked, taking a camera out of her small duffel bag. "It would make my day."  
  
"Me too!" Kioko and Kuri exclaimed at the same time.  
  
Without giving him time to answer, the three began tossing the camera between one another, reminding me of a game we used to play when we were little-hot potato. They kept clicking, each time trying a different pose and combination of people. Of course, each shot featured Mamoru who was forced to continuously smile through the whole ordeal. The camera flashes lit up the room like bolts of lighting during a midnight storm. All the photo shoots in the world couldn't have prepared the poor man for this. I fell back onto one of the couches and watched on in amusement.  
  
When the girls were done, Mamoru moved to sit down. Kioko and Kuri mimicked his action, still babbling in their own merry ways. At the same time, Yuri was in the process of reloading her camera, having just finished a whole roll.  
  
"Will you autograph my shirt?" Kuri asked in excitement.  
  
"Hai," Mamoru replied. He took the sharpie that she held out to him. Kuri then turned around so that he could write his name on her back. After he had dotted his I's, he returned her pen.  
  
"Arigatou, Chiba-san," Kuri said, her neck straining to see the back of her shirt.  
  
"No problem."  
  
"Can you sign a few of my things too, Mamoru-san?" Kioko asked, handing Mamoru another sharpie, similar to Kuri's.  
  
"Sure."  
  
Kioko grabbed her backpack, unzipped it, and flipped it upside down. It was as if a Chiba Mamoru shrine had fallen out. A DVD of every movie he had ever made lay haphazardly on the carpet, along with every magazine and newspaper he had been featured in. Not to mention the T-shirts, key-chains, mugs, and other "memorabilia." As I stared at the items, I began to wonder if Kioko had just returned from Planet Mamoru, souvenir capital of the universe.  
  
I could have sworn I saw a sweatdrop appear on Mamoru's forehead. His eyes had also bugged out. I laughed. After all, I had warned him.  
  
One by one, Mamoru signed each item until his fingers had cramped. It took him a full five minutes, but he made it. After the last DVD, he glanced at me. "Come to think of it," he said. "I just remembered a few things I have to do for work." Then he made a hasty retreat, barely pausing to bid the girls a farewell.  
  
I didn't bother reminding him that he wasn't supposed to be doing any work for his job while he was on vacation. Instead I just let him go out the door. A broad grin made its way onto my face.  
  
"So," I said when things had calmed down, "what movies did you bring, Kioko- chan?"  
  
The taller girl stopped rolling out her sleeping bag. She then shoved her collection of Chiba Mamoru movies forward.  
  
"That's all you brought?"  
  
"Yeah, they're great movies."  
  
"Are you sure you didn't just bring them so that a certain someone could sign them?" I asked skeptically.  
  
"Hey, I'm not saying I didn't consider the thought," Kioko stated smugly.  
  
- - -  
  
"Gotcha!" Yuki exclaimed, wrapping me in a bear hug.  
  
I laughed. "Hai!"  
  
The platinum blonde opened her eyes. "Ah, konnichi, Usagi-chan. You're it now." I nodded and bobbed back into the water.  
  
'So warm,' I thought to myself.  
  
I relished in the heated waters of our outdoor swimming pool. When I emerged, a light breeze passed by causing me to shiver and a storm of delicate petals to fall. I closed my eyes.  
  
"Marco!" I shouted.  
  
I heard a series of "Polo"'s, left and right. As soon as I took a step in one direction, I would head multiple responses from another. It was like a waltz: "Marco!" "Polo!" Step. "Marco!" "Polo!" Step. The dance went on and on.  
  
Then I heard a new "Polo." It was completely different from the others, much deeper and much closer. A chorus of swooning ensued.  
  
Curiously, I reopened my eyes. Mamoru stood a few paces in front of me, drops of water slowly descending from his bangs. He wore a white shirt that was soaked through and a pair of black swimming trunks that fell to his knees.  
  
"Let's start over!" Kuri suggested. I swerved around to face her. "I'll be it!" Her eyes immediately shut. "Marco!"  
  
"Polo!" I yelled before turning back towards Mamoru. "What are you doing?" I demanded in a low voice. "I thought you had work to do."  
  
"Marco!" Kuri shouted in the distance.  
  
We responded with a "polo" at the exact same time.  
  
"I finished early," he said quietly, "so I figured I'd come and see what you were doing." He started to advance. For every step he took forwards, I took a step backwards.  
  
"Why can't you go do something else? Take a nap of something."  
  
"Polo!"  
  
"Because it wouldn't be as fun."  
  
"Marco!"  
  
"Polo!"  
  
"But, you'll ruin things. I already explained about the girls not being themselves. Don't you see?" I stared up at his eyes, ignoring the temptation to analyze his well-built upper body-not that I had looked long enough to tell whether it was or anything.  
  
"Polo!"  
  
"Not really," he nonchalantly replied.  
  
"But, Mamoru-san, you already have their attention just by walking into the vicinity. You don't need to show off to them or-"  
  
"Don't worry about it," he cut me off. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."  
  
I tried to take another step back, but I bumped into the pool wall. Mamoru took one last step towards me. I was fully aware of how close he was.  
  
Maybe he was just doing this to annoy me.  
  
Mustering my voice, I asked, "Don't you have anything better to do than hand around with a bunch of small town, high-school girls?"  
  
Mamoru looked me in the eye before he spoke. "A bunch of high-school girls, maybe. But you. no."  
  
Without so much as another word, he turned and headed to the center of the pool leaving me to glare at his back. 'Damn him.' 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
I lay still, encased in my sleeping bag. The soothing sound of quiet breathing filled the room. I was the last one to remain awake.  
  
After the incident with Mamoru at the pool, thing's had gone okay. I decided that it would be best to act as if nothing had happened. It seemed that Mamoru had thought the same.  
  
We, the girls and I, had also watched a few movies. Only one was from Kioko's selection. The others were horror movies that I had stashed in my room. It was interesting, to say the least, watching 'Silence of the Lambs' with Kuri. Since it was her first time, she continuously asked questions. Some of which were pretty random, but even so, they couldn't compete with our next activity.  
  
Out of pure insanity and probably a little boredom, we had devised a new game. We would all write questions down on separate scraps of paper which we dumped into an empty chip bowl. When we couldn't think of anymore, we passed the bowl around. Each time a person would pull out a question and answer it in some way. Somehow I ended up with all the relationship questions. Call it a jinx. Thankfully, I also found a ways to avoid answering each one of them. As the rounds passed, the question got crazier and crazier. They went from "Annie, are you okay?" to "Do you think Elmo's hot?" and to "What would you do if you got stuck in a Honey Bucket?" The latter being mine, inspired by the numerous port-a-potties stationed around the junior high school while it went through some renovations.  
  
The later it got, the less people there were playing until Kioko and I figured it was time to call it quits. That was when she had fallen asleep. I tried to so the same, but I just couldn't. Thoughts of an ebony-haired man pounded in my mind.  
  
He was an elaborate jigsaw puzzle made of a million pieces. I despised those types of puzzles. They drove you crazy for hours on end. Despite his apologies and occasional sweetness, I still felt that his main goal was to taunt and annoy me. I can't really explain it. It just is.  
  
A dim light danced along the wall as I heard a car pass on the street beyond the window. My blue eyes followed it to the wall clock. It read 5:03.  
  
Less than seven hours until Shingo's big game. I couldn't wait, but I had to fall asleep soon. I couldn't afford to later. My little brother was counting on me.  
  
Wishfully, I closed my eyes and rolled onto my side. I tucked my hands under my pillow, hoping to catch the next train to Dreamland.  
  
- - -  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to day one of the 2003 annual All-Kansai Tournament. Today, we will be beginning the opening round. There will be double elimination until only six of the original forty-eight teams remain. Then there will be two. As you all know, only two teams will advance and bear the honor of representing Kansai in the All-Japan Tournament. Who will be the lucky two? Ganbatte to all the players. Let the games begin!"  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Chairman-san," a middle-ages man said as he traded places with the older man in the spotlight. "For our game we have Sakai and newcomer, Toya." One by one my brother's team came onto the field. Our section burst into cheers; the bleachers shook.  
  
Shingo grinned, waving from his place at first base. His face was lit up with excitement. Like several of his teammate, it was his first time participating in the All-Kansai tournament. Still, they were doing pretty good in pre-tournament matches. It was the first time our area had ever had a team. Everyone was pumped.  
  
The other team's batter then stepped up to the plate, and when the crowd was settled, the pitches made the opening throw.  
  
- - -  
  
"Out!" The first-base umpire yelled after Shingo caught the ball and the batter dashed across the plate. His hands formed the designated signal.  
  
"Great catch, Shingo!" I shouted.  
  
By the end of the fourth inning, the score was four to two with Toya in the lead. Not to mention that I was a very hungry girl. My stomach rumbled, reminding me of the lunch that I would have already eaten had it been any other day. I groaned. It was already two o'clock.  
  
I stood up and was about to leave when a hand caught my wrist. I turned to look at Mamoru. "What?"  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To get some food."  
  
"I'll come with you," he said, rising.  
  
"You don't have to," I replied and silently added, "Really, really don't have to."  
  
"No, it's okay. I want to go. Besides, I'm getting kind of hungry myself." He patted his stomach. "Might as well fill her up now."  
  
Having only slept three hours, I was in no mood to argue so we walked to the food vendor.  
  
"Shingo's doing pretty good today," Mamoru observed.  
  
"Yeah, he's a good player. Just hasn't had the chance to play in the Little League until now. He's really psyched."  
  
"I'll bet."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Did you ever play in the Little league?"  
  
Mamoru chuckled. "Just one season. One really bad season. We lost just about every game."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. I'm sure not. 'Sides, I've found something else I really like doing."  
  
"Acting?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
We remained silent for the rest of the way, but it was a comfortable silence. The line at the stall was short. It wasn't long until we were being served.  
  
"What'll it be, kids?" The cheery, plump man asked. Obviously he couldn't see through Mamoru's cover up which consisted of a simple pair of sunglasses and a cap. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe we wouldn't get mobbed today.  
  
"I'll have a hot dog, please," I said.  
  
"Sure, miss. What about you, sir?"  
  
"I'll have the same, thanks."  
  
"All right. Would you like anything else? Anything to drink?"  
  
"A mountain dew," I replied, "if that's okay."  
  
"Of course it is, miss."  
  
"I'll have a coke," Mamoru added.  
  
"Okie dokie." The balding man pushed a few button on his register. "That'll be (6.50) yen."  
  
As he gathered our order, Mamoru and I dug out or money.  
  
"Oh my gosh," I muttered to myself. "I am so stupid."  
  
"What's wrong?" Mamoru asked, sensing my distress.  
  
"I only have (1) yen with me. I left my wallet in my bag which is still in the stands."  
  
"Oh," Mamoru said, "Is that all?"  
  
"What do you mean 'Is that all'?" I turned to the vendor. "If you'd just please wait for a minute, sir, I could go and get it real quick."  
  
I hear Mamoru chuckled again. "Don't worry about it, Usagi-chan. I was planning on paying for everything anyway."  
  
"You can't do that."  
  
"I can, and I will," he said smugly, handing the man some money. He then picked up his hot dog and coke. Noting my lack of movement, he spoke teasingly. "You better get your food, Usagi-chan. Wouldn't want to put my money to waste, would we?"  
  
I shook my head dumbly and did as he had said. Then I headed back to our seats.  
  
"You didn't have to do that," I said one my senses finally came back.  
  
Mamoru smiled. "I know."  
  
"I'll pay you back later."  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"Whatever you say, I still will. One way or another I will," I told him honestly.  
  
"Well then," he said, "worry about it, but don't pay me back."  
  
"But-"  
  
"But nothing. Call it a gift."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For nothing."  
  
"Gee, that makes me fell a lot better."  
  
"Well how about this," Mamoru offered. "You can pay me back by not paying me back."  
  
"That makes no sense."  
  
"I know," he said matter-of-factly. "Neither do you."  
  
A brief silence elapsed before I spoke again.  
  
"Mamoru-san?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
He grinned at his victory. "No problem."  
  
- - -  
  
"I've almost got it." I mumbled holding a hot day in my mouth and a drink in my hand. With my free hand, I tried to rummage through my bag for my wallet.  
  
"Usagi-chan, I already told you that you don't need o pay me back," Mamoru said.  
  
I tried to tell him that I did, but my jaw was already busy juggling the hot dog. There was no way I was going to stay indebted to him.  
  
"Are you even listening to me?"  
  
I grunted.  
  
"Is that a yes or a now?"  
  
I grunted again. 'Almost there,' I thought.  
  
The all of a sudden there was a series of clattering sounds followed by a thud. I grabbed my lunch from between my teeth and sheepishly smiled at Mamoru.  
  
"What just happened?" Mamoru questioned.  
  
I laughed nervously. "You know the sound that metal makes when it hits another piece of metal?" He nodded. "And you know that sound that an object makes when it hits the ground?" He slowly nodded again, expecting more. "Well, see, there are metal buckles on my backpack and the bleachers are metal too."  
  
"You dropped your backpack?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, I'll go with you to get it."  
  
"I have an idea," I told him. "How about I get the bag and you stay here."  
  
Mamoru blinked. "What?"  
  
"Stop following me." The issue had been bugging me for days Now, with my patience thing and my mind needing sleep, it was amplified. And guess whose fault it was that I couldn't sleep? "You follow me everywhere."  
  
"Not true, I don't follow you to the bathroom," Mamoru defensively stated.  
  
"Fine, you follow me just about everywhere," I said. Feeling exasperated. "Don't."  
  
"But it'll be safer if I go with you."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Not seeing a reason to further continue the conversation, I left. Apparently my words had meant nothing to him, because he followed.  
  
I couldn't afford to start liking him. I'll admit my worst evils are my pride and stubbornness. Once I had taken an online test about the seven deadliest sins. Guess which one had ranked in my top three. You got it. Pride.  
  
When I reached the bottom of the bleachers, I was greeted by poles and bars of steel. Carefully I stepped over a low beam. Then ducked under another. I felt like a burglar dodging security laser beams.  
  
It took a while but I finally reached my backpack. Swinging it over my shoulder, I headed back towards Mamoru who had decided to wait at the edge of the bleachers. A roar erupted from overhead as I heard my brother's name. It was his turn to bat. Not wanting to miss his turn, I sped up my pace.  
  
"Strike!" The umpire yelled.  
  
"What's the count so far?" I asked Mamoru as I stood beside him.  
  
"Tied two balls and two strikes."  
  
"Ball!"  
  
My heart raced. He was on full count. The next pitch would decide the everything in the inning. Unless of course, Shingo fouled it. But, that was the last thing on my mind.  
  
Raising his leg, the Sakai pitcher threw the ball. My brother hit it and immediately made a break for first base. The ball, meanwhile, flew to the right outfield. It hit the ground, eliminating the possibility of a fly ball out. Figuring he had enough time, Shingo made a mad dash for second base. Just as he slid in so did the ball. Engrosses in making the critical catch, the baseman wasn't able to dodge the incoming player and the two tumbled into each other after the catch was made. Everyone's breath caught.  
  
"Safe!" The umpire cried out.  
  
The Toya section of the bleachers rumbled. I cheered along with them until I realized something was wrong. Shingo and the baseman still hadn't gotten up. Overcome with concern, I ran onto the field.  
  
"Shingo?" I called, kneeling beside him.  
  
"Oneechan?" He groggily lifted his head.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"It hurts, Oneechan. It hurts."  
  
"What hurts?"  
  
"My ankle."  
  
"We'll get you some help. Don't worry about it, Otoutosan."  
  
I glanced over at the other boy who was being examined by the doctor. He seemed to be all right.  
  
"Usagi?" A voice jolted me from my thoughts. "Maybe I can help," Mamoru offered. "I'm not a pro, but I am in med school. Maybe while we're waiting, I can take a look."  
  
Nodding, I shifted over making room for him to sit. I continued to prop up my brother as Mamoru carefully removed the younger boy's shoe and sock. Then he gently pressed his fingers around my brother's ankle.  
  
"Does that hurt?" Mamoru questioned.  
  
I saw Shingo gulp. "A little."  
  
Mamoru raised his eyes to mine. "I think he just sprained his ankle. I can't feel any broken bones. Either way, it's not too serious. We'll just see what the real doctor comes up with." He turned to my brother and ruffled his hair. "You're gonna be fine, champ. Good job." Standing, he spoke to me again." I'll go get some ice."  
  
He stood up and was about to stride away when I called his name. Immediately he looked back.  
  
"Thank you. again," I said sincerely.  
  
- - -  
  
"Level seven cleared," appeared on the screen as my score scrolled higher.  
  
I used the free time to take a sip from my strawberry smoothie. Motoki makes the best. Setting the styrofoam cup back on the empty stool, I resumed the game. My fingers rapidly tapped the buttons causing Sailor V to kick, punch, and flip the enemies. At the same time, my left hand clutched the joystick.  
  
I gritted my teeth. I had never gotten past the level eight boss.  
  
'Just a little bit further to go,' I thought, 'Come on. Please.'  
  
All action in the video game ceased. Then the two dreaded little words crawled their way into the center. The blood red font laughed at me. "Game Over." My lips fell into a grim frown.  
  
"Can I play?"  
  
I jumped slightly into the air, then spun around. Mamoru stood behind me.  
  
"Sure," I said, sliding off the tall stool.  
  
Steady hands on my shoulders stilled my movement. "Wait. Please, stay."  
  
I gazed at him curiously. "Stay?"  
  
"If you don't mind. I'd like to play a game with you," Mamoru said. "Who knows, maybe we can finally finish it."  
  
Pushing myself back onto the stool, I shrugged. "Sure, why not."  
  
Mamoru removed my drink from the other stool and placed it on a flat surface of the gaming machine. He then sat down, pushing random button to get the feel of things.  
  
"Ready?" I asked. Seeing him nod, I inserted a few coins into the designated slots. I smiled. "My turn to pay."  
  
- - -  
  
"Hang in there, Usagi-chan," Mamoru said. "Just keep killing the little guys I've almost got the main boss done."  
  
I concentrated on the smaller youma who kept reviving. Just as I was about to finish him off for the millionth time, he collapsed on his own. The boss was defeated; The game was finished.  
  
"Wohoo!"  
  
"Nice job," the dark-haired man congratulated. "We make a pretty good team."  
  
"Yeah, we do."  
  
"We finished just in time too. I'm hungry."  
  
I sucked the last drops of my smoothie through the straw, creating a gurgling sound. "Hmm. Now that you mention it, I am too."  
  
"Tell you what. Why don't you go ahead and grab us a table at the parlor. I'll meet you there after I drop by a vending machine."  
  
"Can't wait for an order?"  
  
Mamoru laughed. "Not today. Gotta start eating now."  
  
"Well then, sounds like a plan," I agreed laughing.  
  
I headed for the café area of Crown and sat at the usual window booth. Propping an arm on the table, I rested my head on it and waited.  
  
A few minutes later, Mamoru appeared in my view. He was carrying a bag of potato chips. I expected him to come right over, but he waved and motioned towards a small boy who was struggling with a crane machine. I nodded. Winking, Mamoru went to help the young child.  
  
Maybe Kioko was right. Maybe Mamoru wasn't all that bad. I'll admit he has his good points and he seems to get along great with everyone else. Was it just me?  
  
Oh, well. There isn't any harm in just being friends. I mean it doesn't let the girls prove anything against me. So he's sweet and I'll be nice to him. Doesn't mean I think he's hot.  
  
I saw a wide smile break out on the face of the little boy that Mamoru was helping. He then reached into the machine's basket with his chubby little hand and pulled out a monkey plush toy. It was adorable. The boy then turned around to give Mamoru a thank-you hug before running off to find his mother.  
  
When Mamoru finally came to join me, a grin was plastered to his face. He held out the bag of chips. I took one and popped it into my mouth.  
  
"Have fun?" I asked.  
  
"Yup," he said cheerfully. "You know, Usagi-chan. I was thinking. We really got off on the wrong foot. I know it due in no small part to me and I'm really sorry. You know I'm going to be around for a few more days or even weeks. Who knows? Anyway, I was just wondering if we could start over, a brand new slate."  
  
I nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. I'm sorry too. I wasn't being fair about everything-the following, the sleepover. the hair."  
  
His grin broadened.  
  
"Have you heard about the carnival?" I asked. "They're holding it down by the bay."  
  
"Yeah, I overheard some kids at the baseball game talking about it."  
  
"I was thinking of going with a few friends from school next weekend. You wanna come?"  
  
Mamoru looked at me curiously. "You sure you want mind being followed?"  
  
"Hey, I never said anything about giving you permission to follow me. It feels like I'm being stalked," I said sternly, but then softly added, "Walk with me, not behind me."  
  
His dark-blue eyes smiled. "Sure, I'd love to come." 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
I watched as the sun set. The sky was illuminated with a bold palette of oranges reds, yellows, purples, and pinks. Darker hues bid their farewells to the light.  
  
I rocked back and forth on our back yard swing set. My hands were loosely wrapped around the cool steel chains.  
  
It had been two seeks since Mamoru's arrival. A lot had changed since then. After our pact at the Crown, we had gotten along great. It's funny how the best of friends can come from archenemies and rivals. It's even funnier that we sealed our friendship on a bag of chips. I'll never forget that.  
  
The girls had accepted our newfound friendship. Although I hadn't missed the suspicious looks that Kioko sent me from time to time. I'll have to have a chat with her one of these days.  
  
Shingo is doing fine. He's on crutches right now. Three weeks, doctor's orders. Turns out, Mamoru's diagnosis of an ankle sprain was correct. No doubt, my little brother had been wallow in disappointment, but it's not all lost. The coach had agreed to continue to let him bat while he's injured. They'll just be sending out pitch runners.  
  
A light breeze passed by causing me to shiver.  
  
"Cold?"  
  
Glancing behind me, I found Mamoru holding out a jacket. I quickly thanked him, then grabbed it. As I pulled my arms through the sleeves, Mamoru sat down on the other swing. The house lights created dancing shadows on his face.  
  
"You've heard about the rabbit on the moon, right?" Mamoru asked, staring up at the sky.  
  
"Yeah, with a name like mine it's hard to miss."  
  
He chuckled. "It's a cute name," he said. "Come to think of it. Your hair doesn't just look like odangos."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yup, they look like rabbit ears."  
  
"Rabbit ears?"  
  
Mamoru nodded. "Fits better too, Usa-chan."  
  
"Usa-chan?!" I exclaimed.  
  
Leaping, I tackled him off of the swing. We hit the bark covered ground with a thud.  
  
"Hai!" Mamoru said, grinning.  
  
"Well," I smiled, "I guess that makes you Mamo-chan."  
  
- - -  
  
"Wow. Let's go again!"  
  
Mamoru sighed as he pulled me away. "Usagi-chan, we just went five times. I think all the twirling on that ride went to your head."  
  
"But it's fun!"  
  
"I'm sure it is," Mamoru said, dragging me along by me arm. "Motoki-kun, wait up!"  
  
The sandy-blond stopped the main group in the middle of an intersection. He waved us over. "You both need to walk faster," he said, grinning.  
  
"Tell that to Usa-chan here."  
  
"You know you want to ride it again," I told Mamoru. "You're just in denial."  
  
"Why would I be in denial?"  
  
"Because you know I'm right."  
  
"Right, huh?" Mamoru doubtfully repeated. "Who said you were right?"  
  
"I did, of course," I stated smugly.  
  
"And you're always right."  
  
I clapped. "Good job, Mamo-chan. We're making progress."  
  
Mamoru smiled. In my mind's eye, I could see his eyes twinkling from behind the dark shades he wore.  
  
Then I heard Kuri give a scream. "Oh my gosh! They have a mirror maze. I love those."  
  
"Me too," I agreed. "Let's go!"  
  
We each deposited two ticked at the entrance. The maze was fabulous. All the walls were made of glass. There were no exceptions. Our confused demeanors gazed back at use as we came to the first splitting path of the labyrinth.  
  
"I'll take the left, Shiro volunteered. He was an old classmate of mine.  
  
"I'll go with you," Yuki offered. The tall brunette. Nodded and they set off.  
  
"I guess I'll take the right passage," I said. "We can have two go down each of the tunnels since there are four and eight of us."  
  
"I guess I'll be your partner," Mamoru stated.  
  
We started walking down the hall of reflections. "You better mean that in a good way."  
  
"Of course, I did."  
  
"Did I just hear sarcasm?" I asked.  
  
"Of course not, Ma'am."  
  
"Ow!" I took a step backwards. Rubbing my head, I changed directions.  
  
I saw Mamoru's face everywhere. A smirk was plastered on it. "Did you just run into a wall?"  
  
"No," I replied without looking back.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked.  
  
"No."  
  
He chuckled. "I knew it."  
  
"What?" It's not that hard to do. The only reason you haven't walking into one yet is because you're walking behind me."  
  
"Fine, then," Mamoru said. He gently pushed his way in front of me. "I'll take the lead."  
  
"Be my guest."  
  
We continued on bump-free for about two minutes. It was then that Mamoru became a little too friendly with the mirror panels. It was hilarious. He had walked straight into one mirror, then turned and walked into another. I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down onto my knees, laughing.  
  
"Mamo-chan," I managed to get out, "It's a dead end."  
  
He turned back and looked at me, a puzzled look on his features. "I knew that."  
  
"I'm sure you did."  
  
- - -  
  
"Didn't the guy at the door say that there were two exits?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then how is it that we've been wondering around for almost thirty minutes and still haven't found either one?"  
  
"I don't know, Mamo-chan. I don't know," I said.  
  
Mamoru sighed. "Oh, well. At least we haven't bumped into anymore walls. Still, I wish I could see some part of the outside world."  
  
I stopped in midstride. "Mamo-chan, that's it."  
  
"What's it?" He asked confuse.  
  
"Bumping into walls, seeing the outside world. Don't you see it?"  
  
The older boy shook his head. "No, not at all."  
  
"There's a museum I've been to," Began to explain. "It's an interactive one designed for fun and that sort of stuff. There's a mirror maze there with multiple exits. None of which are obvious. One exit you have to crawl to get through. It's a mirror flap that you push open. It takes you to a dark playground area which has an easy access exit. The other exit is a moving mirror panel. No matter where you are in the maze, you can't see outside. It can mess up the way the mirrors work."  
  
Mamoru nodded. "Start tapping the walls"  
  
We started backtracking until we came across a mirror that was slightly dirtier than the others. Fingerprints littered its surface.  
  
"Do you think this it?" I asked, inspecting the glass.  
  
"No harm in trying."  
  
Placing our hands on the mirror, we put our weight onto it and pushed. The panel opened up easier than expected. We tumbled into a heap outside of the labyrinth.  
  
"Well about time someone came out," a voice said from above. "Although I can't say I expected you two to come out like that."  
  
I rolled off Mamoru and saw a platinum blonde and a brunette staring down at us. It was Yuki and Shiro.  
  
"You beat us," Mamoru said disappointedly. "Darn, I thought we had a pretty good chance at the end. Too bad, I though we made a good team."  
  
"That's probably because you did," Shiro said. "The only reason we beat you is well. because we didn't."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Yuki grinned. "You two are the first ones out. Congratulations."  
  
"But how?" I asked, completely confused. "What about you two?"  
  
"We've been outside for almost as log as you guys were inside," Shiro explained. "Yuki got kinda scared that we might get lost and stuck inside so we came right back out through the same way we came in."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah," Shiro said, offering his hand to help me up. "So now that you guys are finished, you wanna come with us to the boat rental? Yuki-chan's been bugging me to go for a while now."  
  
I took Shiro's hand and he pulled me to my feet.  
  
"What about the others?" I asked.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Shiro said. "We've got everything under control. Toshi said he'd tell then where we were."  
  
"Who's Toshi?"  
  
"The guy at the entrance," Shiro gave a wave which the young man at the door returned. "We've been talking to him the whole time. Nice fellow."  
  
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go."  
  
- - -  
  
"Wow, it's so pretty from out here," I said, staring back at the lively carnival.  
  
The sun had begun to set and the colourful fair lights were beginning to stand out more and more against the darkening skies.  
  
"Sure is," Mamoru agreed. He let the oars a\hang from the rings attached to the sides of the boat.  
  
Moments of silence passed as we watched the scenery. Dozens of small boats floated amidst the bay. I wondered if people would find it strange that Mamoru still donned a pair of sunglasses. It sure wasn't a common sight. Oh well, I guess he couldn't really afford to take them off.  
  
"Mamo-chan" I asked.  
  
"Hai," he replied, still gazing at our surroundings.  
  
"What's it like being an actor?"  
  
Mamoru turned to look me in the eye. He remained silent for a while, appearing to be in though. Then he smiled.  
  
"It's a lot of fun, especially when you're with a team that just clicks, but I guess it's also a lot of hard work. We have long hours and after that there's the media frenzy and fans. It's hard to get some quiet time alone. Even so, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I understand I can't have the life of a normal person my age, but that's just fine. My life has some perks of its own."  
  
I nodded. "Do you want to go back?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Do you want to leave Toya and return home?"  
  
He looked at me, puzzled. "You mean now?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I dunno. It's been nice to finally have a break. You know what I mean? But if I did have to go back home now, I wouldn't complain," he said truthfully. Then he smirked. "Besides, who know what'll happen to you when I leave. You might go crazy with grief. I wouldn't want that to happen now, would I."  
  
"I will not go crazy when you leave, and if I did I would go crazy with joy," I retorted, standing up.  
  
The boat rocked at the movement.  
  
"Yes, you will. You'll miss me so much." Mamoru rose from his seat as well. He towered over my petite form.  
  
"Wanna bet?"  
  
"I don't think a bet on this will mean anything."  
  
"Of course it will."  
  
"I'll get enough satisfaction from knowing that you miss me."  
  
"Why you little."  
  
I took a step towards him and was about to take another when my foot got caught on the bench. Not expecting the obstacle, I was thrown off balance. Instinctively I reached for the nearest object which just happened to be Mamoru. We hit the water with a splash.  
  
I kept my eyes shut until I resurfaced. Mamoru came up seconds later.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked, clearing the water from my eyes.  
  
"Hai. You?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
Mamoru let out a sudden laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"That has to be the highlight of my day."  
  
I gazed at his deep blue eyes for a moment as I thought. Coming to the same realization, a smile fell upon my lips. "It was better than the rides!" I joined Mamoru's laughs.  
  
"Excuse me. Are you two all right? We saw you fall overboard."  
  
Looking over Mamoru's shoulder, I noticed another boat similar to ours. On board it was a group of girls about my age. I hadn't seen them arrive, having been caught up in my conversation with Mamoru.  
  
"Hai, we're okay. Arigatou," I told them.  
  
Mamoru added another thanks while turning to face the boat. A chorus of shrieks and screams immediately filled the air.  
  
"Mamoru-san!"  
  
"Oh. my. gosh. It's Chiba Mamoru."  
  
"Stop joking around guys. It's not funny."  
  
"We're not, it's really him."  
  
"Let me see," one of the girls said pushing her way to the other side of the boat. She gave a shriek. "Konnichi, Mamoru-san!"  
  
"Konnichi," Mamoru said nonchalantly. He pulled himself into our boat, then helped me in. I looked at Mamoru again and realized that his glasses and cap had fallen off, probably from the impact of the fall.  
  
Meanwhile, the audience that had gathered around us continued to increase. It wasn't long until we were bombarded by camera flashed. Mamoru muttered something, but I couldn't hear him over the shouting.  
  
We quickly rowed back to shore. The groups of crazed fans were right on our heels. After anchoring, we met up with Shiro and Yuki who had been waiting at the docks.  
  
"We have to leave now," Shiro shouted, his brown eyes serious.  
  
I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the blinding flashes. "But what about the others?"  
  
"They'll understand," he replied. "But right now we have to get Mamoru-san out of here."  
  
I nodded and followed him to the car. We made sure to keep Mamoru in the middle of the huddle at all times.  
  
- - -  
  
"Arigatou, Tanaka-san. Well, some of you may have seen or heard about today's exciting and unusual event at the annual carnival. Highly acclaimed teen idol and actor, Chiba Mamoru, was spotted at the docks. The nineteen year old had disappeared from the public eye a couple of weeks ago. His agent had remained quiet about the issue, only saying that he too did not know about Chiba's whereabouts."  
  
"So the mystery is finally solved, Maeme-san."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Well, it's now time for the weather report with Yamaguchi-san. Take it away, Jiiro."  
  
I pressed the power button on the remote, turning off the television.  
  
We had been followed home by a few obsessive fans and photographers. All the blinds in the house were immediately closed. We hadn't gone outside since.  
  
Setting the remote down, I glanced over at Mamoru. He sat on the other couch in the gaming room.  
  
"When are you going to go back?" I asked quietly.  
  
"Tomorrow morning," he said. "It's back to work for me."  
  
"I'm sorry about everything."  
  
He shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn't your fault."  
  
"But it was!" I said, standing up. "I was the one who pulled you along into the water and it was my idea to go to the carnival in the first place."  
  
"It was my decision to go so stop apologizing or you might actually have something to apologize for."  
  
I gave a light laugh, but it didn't last long. I let out a sigh. "I still can't help but feel bad about the whole thing. I wish I could make things up to you somehow."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
The phone rand preventing him from saying anything else.  
  
"I'll get that," I said, walking towards the side table. "Moshi moshi."  
  
"Konnichi wa," a deep voice no the other line spoke. "Is this the Tsukino residence?"  
  
"Hai, would you like to speak to Kenji-san?" I asked. I figured it was another person from my father's work.  
  
"Iie. Actually I would like to speak with Chiba-san."  
  
I instinctively went on the defensive side. Reporters wouldn't stop at anything. "I'm sorry," I told him with a distinct edge in my voice, "Chiba- san is not available for interviews of any sort." I noticed Mamoru's ears perk up at the mention of his name. "Please don't call again. Sayonara."  
  
I was about to put the phone down when the man began to speak quickly. "Iie, iie. You have it all wrong, miss. Please don't hang up on me."  
  
"Give me a good reason as to why not."  
  
"I'm not a reporter. I can guarantee you that," he said. Then I heard him mutter the word 'hounds.'  
  
"Then who are you?" I twisted the spring phone cord around my slim fingers.  
  
"Miyazaki Hiroshi. I'm Chiba-san's agent."  
  
I sat down on the arm of the beige couch. "You and a hundred other people," I said sarcastically. "Do you have any idea how many people have called tonight saying that?"  
  
"No. Now may I please speak to Chiba-san."  
  
"Not really. I told you he's busy."  
  
"Well tell him to get his butt on the phone."  
  
I placed my hand over the speaker and pretended to call out to Mamoru. Then I placed the phone next to me ear again. "I'm sorry," I told him sweetly. Too sweetly. "He's not available."  
  
"Just get the kid on the damn phone!"  
  
"Okay, okay. Don't get your underwear in a wad." I held out the phone to Mamoru. "Some guy claiming to be your agent."  
  
He took the phone warily. "Moshi moshi."  
  
"Chiba-san, why the hell didn't you tell me where you were?!" The man was shouting so loudly into the phone that I could easily hear him.  
  
Mamoru's eyebrows rose. "Miyazaki-san?!"  
  
"Hai! Who did you think I was?! Your fairy godmother?!"  
  
"Iie, iie," Mamoru replied nervously. Then he paused. "It was my mother's idea." There was a long silence as he listened intently. "She did what?! She can't do that!"  
  
The ebony haired man ran a hand through his hair. He then glanced at a pile of magazines that Kuri had left behind from the sleepover a week ago. He picked one up and flipped through it. Placing it down, he picked up another. Seconds later it was back on the table. It was in the fifth magazine that he paused at a page. He stared at it. "We need to do something," Mamoru said into the phone. "We can't just abandon the whole movie. So much money has already been invested into it. Why don't you just cast another girl?" He waited for an answer. "I see, so the writers won't budge from their perfect image." He sighed. "That's what happens when you write a part for a specific individual. And you say that the costume designers can't afford to alter their designs for another person as well?"  
  
Mamoru continued listening to his agent. "I understand, Miyazaki-san, but what if-" Mamoru halted in midsentence. He raised the magazine, analyzing the page more closely. Then he glanced up at me and back at the page again. "Miyazaki-san, what if I brought someone to fill in her role? Just give it a chance. Yeah." He listened some more. "Hai, arigatou. You won't be disappointed. Sayonara."  
  
Setting the phone back on the hook, Mamoru turned to look at me. "Usagi- chan, I think I just found a way for you to make things up."  
  
I gazed back at him for a moment before sitting down. "I'm listening." 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five : A Short Interlude  
  
Setting the phone back on the hook, Mamoru turned to look at me. "Usa-chan, I think I just found a way for you to make things up."  
  
I gazed back at him for a moment before sitting down. "I'm listening."  
  
- - -  
  
"We're in the process of making another movie. That really was my agent, and turns out the lead actress just dropped her role. With the movie on a tight budget and the script complete, we can't afford to just get another person to fill her spot," Mamoru informed me.  
  
I titled my head to the side. "So where do I come in?"  
  
"Do you know who Aino Minako is?"  
  
"I've heard about her," I said honestly, "but that's just about it."  
  
"So you have no idea what she looks like?"  
  
I shook my head. "No."  
  
Mamoru gently tossed the magazine he had been holding onto the coffee table so that it was directly in front of me. "That's her; the one on the right."  
  
I glanced down at the page.  
  
"Remind you of anyone you know?"  
  
Analyzing it closer, I noticed the blue eyes, blonde hair, and the similar facial structure. She looked a little like "Me?"  
  
"Bingo."  
  
I turned my head up. "I don't get it."  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Mamoru sat down beside me. He then took my small hands in hi and said three words that I hadn't expected. "Come with me."  
  
"Come with you?" I asked in disbelief.  
  
He nodded. "Come with me to Tokyo. It'd be perfect. Your natural tones are similar to Minako's and your both about the same stature. You'd fit the role so perfectly that the crew will only have to make a few minor adjustments. Plus, I'd get to show you around the city."  
  
I smiled inwardly at the thought of seeing Tokyo. Although I had heard that it was a wonderful place, I'd never had the chance to go see it for myself. My heart jolted with excitement, but my mind was full of doubts. "I don't know, Mamo-chan. I don't do acting."  
  
"You'll be fine" he assured me. "Besides, I saw how well you did in The Children's Hour*. It was one of the plays put on at the high school last year, right?"  
  
My eyes widened. "How. How did you know?"  
  
"Motoki showed me a tape of it. Mary's a great character," Mamoru said. Grinning, he stood and placed his hands dramatically on one side of his chest. Then he cried out, "My heart! It's my heart! It's stopping or something. I can't breathe." He took in a gasp of air before awkwardly collapsing onto the carpet.  
  
I shuffled to the edge of the couch so that I could peer down at him. "You make a wonderful Mary," I sad sweetly.  
  
"Why thank you, little lady," Mamoru said in an odd accent as he propped himself up on his elbows. "But why do you not laugh? Why do you not cry? What kind of an actor am I if I do not move my audience?" He placed the back of his hand against his forehead and fell back onto the carpet.  
  
I giggled, moving closer to the edge of my seat.  
  
Mamoru smiled proudly. "Now there's my laugh, but I still don't have an answer."  
  
My giggled quickly subsided and I grew serious. "Mamo-chan, I just don't think I can do it," I said with a frown.  
  
"Don't you want to go?" Mamoru asked, his head still against the floor.  
  
"Of course," I assured him quickly, "I would love to go, but. there are so many reasons why I can't."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Too many to list."  
  
Mamoru moved his arms behind his head. "Try me."  
  
I sighed. "Well, there's school for one."  
  
"We can get you a private tutor. It'll probably be better that way too since it's one on one."  
  
"There's still the problem of where I'm going to stay. I can't just live in a hotel the entire time."  
  
"Easy. You can stay with me."  
  
I looked at him skeptically.  
  
"I have a penthouse in Azabu," he explained. "There are two guestrooms. You can just use one of them."  
  
"What about my parents?"  
  
"It'll talk to them and explain everything."  
  
"What about Shingo? I'll miss his games. You saw how important they are to him."  
  
"I have a private jet so you can always fly back. I promise you won't miss a single game if you come."  
  
"But what about the crew?" I asked, looking Mamoru straight in the eye.  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"They'll think I just got the job because I'm friends with you."  
  
"But you did," Mamoru said nonchalantly as he sat up.  
  
I scrunched my face. "You're not helping."  
  
"It doesn't matter what they think. We need you. Besides," he tapped the end of my nose with his index finger, "they'll love you."  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Any other doubts, milady?"  
  
Happily I shook my head side to side. "I forgot the rest."  
  
"Well, now that that's done. Let's go see where your parents are."  
  
Mamoru rose from the floor and held out his hand to help me up. I gazed at it for a moment. By accepting it, I would also be agreeing to his idea. I wondered if I really wanted that.  
  
After a minute of contemplation had passed, I placed my hand in his. My fingers then curled in created a firm grip. That's when it all came crashing down on me.  
  
I was going to Tokyo.  
  
- - -  
  
And that's how I ended up smack dab in the middle of another mob of screaming girls.  
  
"We're almost there, Chiba-san!" Mamoru's body guard shouted above the loud cries. His bald head glistened in the midday sun.  
  
The ebony-haired man followed mutely and his hand tightened around my wrist. He constantly glanced behind to check that I was close enough as we weaved our way through the crowd.  
  
I watched several girls about my age reach out their hands in hopes of brushing their fingertips against my friend. Those that accomplished their goals would then break down into tears. It was an odd sight for me, but I could tell by Mamoru's calm composure that he was accustomed to it.  
  
The second we entered the fenced airway, we were bombarded by photographers who had been waiting for Mamoru to reach a clearing so that they could capture the perfect shot.  
  
"Mamoru-kun! Over here!"  
  
I swerved my head to the side and found a light-haired young man waving us over. He stood at the door of a plane, casually dressed.  
  
"Come on," Mamoru ordered, tugging on my wrist.  
  
We dashed into the plane as fast as we could, trying to avoid tripping on the metal stairs along the way. Of course knowing me, I tripped on the top step anyway. Luckily, Mamoru caught me as I stumbled into the jet.  
  
"Easy," he told me as I caught my breath.  
  
The blond, who had called Mamoru over, shut the plane door before holding his hand out to me. I took it eagerly.  
  
"Nikko Kazuki, Mamoru's long time pilot. Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Tsukino Usagi, Mamoru's short time friend and soon-to-be co-worker. Charmed."  
  
"Ahh. so you're the Tsukino-san I've heard about."  
  
"You've heard about me?"  
  
"Of course, it's all over the tabloids," Kazuki stated, straightening out his leather jacket. "They also said that you two were."  
  
I gazed at him expectantly after he trailed off, but when I realized what he meant I instantly blushed and turned my eyes to the ground.  
  
"Kasuki-kun!" I heard Mamoru exclaim. "I thought I already told you that not everything they say is true."  
  
"Yeah, but you still can't help but wonder." Glancing up, I witnessed the blond slap the darker haired man on the back. He then lowered his voice and to Mamoru he whispered, "Besides she is a cutie."  
  
I flushed an even bolder shade.  
  
"Usa-chan?" Turned my head even further up, I found Mamoru's concerned face staring at me.  
  
"Hai, Mamoru-chan?"  
  
"Usa-chan, you don't look too well. You're really red."  
  
"Maybe she had a fever," the bodyguard offered. "My son usually turns that colour when he has it."  
  
Kazuki shook his head doubtfully. "I don't think so. Maybe she's just tired. You should all sit down and rest while I get this puppy off the ground and into the air. It's been a hectic past couple of days."  
  
Mamoru nodded. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he led us to the back end of the plane where we sat down and buckled our seatbelts. He used his arms to gently nudge me towards him before letting it slide down to loosely hand around my waist.  
  
I lay my head on his shoulder.  
  
"Go to sleep, Usa-chan," he softly told me. "I'll wake you up when we get to Tokyo."  
  
Not having slept the previous night, I was in no mood to protest. My eyelids slowly shut and I soon fell into a deep sleep.  
  
- - -  
  
*Extra Disclaimer: The Children's Hour is written by Lillian Hellman 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six  
  
The first thing I noticed when I awoke was the gentle pressure being applied to the top of my head. Not wanting to disturb this unknown weight, I kept my head completely still as I opened my eyes.  
  
I was met with a vast area of darkness. The only light was provided by the moon whose peaceful glow penetrated through the small windows. I didn't recognize where I was at all, but with the help of the faint lighting I was able to make out a few more seats, doors, and other details.  
  
A few minutes passed and I eventually remember everything that had occurred. I recognized Mamoru's arm lightly hanging around my waist. The pressure on my head, however, was still another story.  
  
Curiously, I darted my eyes from side to side. It was then that I noticed that Mamoru was leaning towards me. Considering the fact that I couldn't see above the bottom half of his neck. I figured that his head was the object was creating the pressure.  
  
I contented myself with inspecting my surrounding until I realized the time. It was now almost pitch black outside, and it couldn't have been more than one in the afternoon when I had fallen asleep. Did Mamoru know how late it was?  
  
Anxiously I poked his hand with my index finger. There was no reaction what- so-ever from the sleeping young man so I carefully slid out of my seat and kneeled in front of him. His body slumped into the space I had vacated.  
  
"Mamo-chan," I whispered while patting his cheek.  
  
He groaned and shifted into a more comfortable position before returning to his slumber.  
  
"Mamo-chan, come on," I said louder, "wake up. It's getting late."  
  
Receiving the exact same response, I sighed, but then I remembered something and giggled. Mamoru's left eye immediately opened, soon followed by the right.  
  
"What's so funny?" He asked, still drowsy.  
  
"You're the one who said that you would wake me up and how here I am waking you up."  
  
He gave a lazy smile.  
  
Suddenly, I heard a click and we were submerged in bright lights. My eyes shut instinctively. They eventually opened only to be met by a blur of colours. Mamoru, meanwhile, had jerked his body upright. His arm had come up to shield his eyes from the intruding brightness.  
  
"I though I heard some noise coming from in here," Kazuki said, grinning. "About time you both got up."  
  
"What time is it?" Mamoru questioned with traces of annoyance in his tone.  
  
"Well, hello to you too. Don't you have a watch?"  
  
"Your light trick has me temporarily blinded."  
  
The blond chuckled. "It's almost eleven."  
  
"Eleven?! Are you kidding me?  
  
"Nope, I'm pretty sure it's eleven."  
  
I blinked a few times and glanced at my wristwatch. Sure enough the long hand was nearing the eleventh dot.  
  
"Why didn't you wake us up?" I asked.  
  
Kazuki shrugged. "I didn't have the heard. You both looked like you could use the rest." He yawned. "Kinda like me right now. We'll I'll be heading home now. Mamoru, you have the keys." Turning towards me he added, "It was nice meeting you, Usagi-san. Hopefully I'll see you around again sometime."  
  
"I'm sure you will," I replied. "Good night."  
  
The young men bid their own farewells before the blond headed out. Just as he was about to disappear from my line of vision, he turned back around.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Mamoru-kun," the pilot said. "I've already sent your bodyguard home. I hope that's okay."  
  
Mamoru nodded as he stretched his arms. "Arigatou."  
  
"No problem. See you guys later." With that said, Kazuki exited the jet.  
  
"So where to?" I asked standing up.  
  
Mamoru handed me my two duffel bags which he had removed from the luggage compartment. "Home," he simply told me. After grabbing his own duffel bag and my carry-on-sized suitcase, Mamoru locked up his plane and led me down the metal steps.  
  
"Kazuki will probably drop by tomorrow to place it in the hanger," he informed me.  
  
"Can't you do it now?"  
  
Mamoru made a strange face and smirked. "Trust me you don't want me piloting that thing."  
  
"Are you that bad?"  
  
"I sure hope not, but I'd rather not try to find out. Imagine what the public would think if something happened," he said sarcastically.  
  
I laughed, "Yeah, I can see it now. 'Super Teen idol Turns into Super Teen Baka.'"  
  
"Oi, Miyazaki-san would seriously kill me for that one."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure he would. Although, he'd probably try to kill me first for implanting the idea into your head.  
  
- - -  
  
"Mamo-chan, are you sure it's necessary for use to walk the whole way to your apartment?" I asked as e strolled down the city streets.  
  
"Nope, I'm absolutely positive that it isn't necessary."  
  
I groaned.  
  
"What?" He asked innocently. "I don't feel like calling a cab. Besides, I thought you wanted to see Tokyo. So here, look all around. Usa-chan, meet Tokyo. Isn't it a pretty place?"  
  
"I don't know. I can't see anything," I grumpily reported.  
  
"Don't be silly. Of course, you can. See all the colourful lights?"  
  
I muttered a yes.  
  
"Well there you have it, the Tokyo night life."  
  
"Is it even safe to be lurking around the 'Tokyo night life' with multiple bags when it's almost midnight?"  
  
"Remember, this is just Tokyo, not Amsterdam. Crazy men aren't going to jump out of every corner. It's safe enough. I know; I live here," Mamoru said smugly.  
  
I gradually overtook him as his pace slowed. Then I heard a shout directly behind me and yelped. I must have jumped at least two feet off the ground. Swirling around, I saw Mamoru laughing.  
  
"That wasn't funny, Mamo-chan," I seriously told him, y eyes narrowing.  
  
Letting out a huff of air, I picked up the bags I had dropped and strode away. A few seconds later Mamoru caught up with me. His long legs had allowed him to easily pass.  
  
"What do you want?" I asked.  
  
He stopped in front of me, successfully blocking me off from walking further away.  
  
"Okay, so it was a bad joke," he admitted, "but I want to show you something-for real. Turn around."  
  
Sighing, I complied with his order.  
  
"You see the string of lights going up behind those buildings over there?" He asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"That's the Tokyo Tower."  
  
"The Tokyo Tower?"  
  
Hai."  
  
"It's pretty."  
  
"Sure is," Mamoru agreed. "You should see it during the day too. It looks a lot different. Who know, maybe I'll take you up there one day."  
  
I gasped. "You really mean that, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"But the restaurant prices are so expensive."  
  
"So they are, but have you forgotten who I am, Usa-chan?  
  
"No, of course not," I said, my voice overflowing with sarcasm. "No one can ever forget the almighty Chiba Mamoru."  
  
He grinned. "You're damn right about that."  
  
- - -  
  
"So how much further until we get there?" I asked, once again making my way through the somewhat busy streets.  
  
"Just a few more blocks."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
"Good, because I'm starting to get tired. I know, I know. That's pretty weak, but come one. I just woke up and walked a few miles across the city. You should be tired too, Mamo-chan. Your mother won't be too happy when she finds out that you're exerting yourself like this. I mean, after all, she was the one who sent you on vaca-"  
  
My rambling was interrupted by Mamoru calling my name from behind.  
  
"Mamoru, hurry up," I said without looking back. "The sooner we get there the better. What I wouldn't do for a nice cup of white chocolate mocha right now. Nothing would wake me up better. Except maybe a cup of Jolt. Yes, jolt. Yes, yes, jolt."  
  
"Usa-chan!" I heard Mamoru yell out once more. This time his voice sounded fainter as if he were even further away.  
  
Sighing, I pivoted around. "You know it's rude to interrupt people when they're in the middle of a conversation."  
  
"A conversation? With who?"  
  
My stomach grumble. "That doesn't matter. What did you want me for?"  
  
The ebony-haired man grinned and pointed to his left. "You passed the building."  
  
Trying to conceal my embarrassment I nodded sternly before backtracking. As I walking by him to enter the complex's rotating door, I calmly said to him, "My bad."  
  
- - -  
  
"Man, I've hard of people going crazy when they don't have enough sleep, but I can't believe you go crazy when you don't have enough food. Slow down. I don't want you turning into a lemming."  
  
"What can I say? I'm a hungry girl," I stated proudly, taking a seat on a stool next the kitchen counter.  
  
"You can say that again," Mamoru muttered after watching me devour yet another item from his refrigerator.  
  
"I'm a hungry girl."  
  
He sighed. "So when was the last time you ate?"  
  
"Uhh, yesterday. Oh wait," I took a closer look at the clock and noticed that it was already one in the morning, "I guess it was the day before yesterday." I grinned.  
  
Mamoru's eyes significantly widened. "You didn't eat before we left?"  
  
I shook my head before biting into some mochi. "Nope, I didn't have any time or the appetite. Thank goodness, you had friends over here while you were gone or else you'd have had nothing good left in there for me to eat."  
  
"Hmm. then I guess you should eat up," Mamoru said thoughtfully.  
  
I noticed him start to leave. "Don't you want any?"  
  
"Nah, I'm fine. I'm just going to take a shower and change. Make yourself at home, 'kay?  
  
"Hmm-mm."  
  
I continued eating until the guilt of emptying out Mamoru's kitchen crept up on me. Carefully, I washed all of the dishes and placed them into the dishwater. Then I wandered into the living area.  
  
It was a large room with a high ceiling. The height of which spanned both levels of the penthouse. With a sigh, I propped onto the 'L'-shaped couch and awaited Mamoru's return.  
  
I wasn't disappointed. He arrived in the doorway a few minutes later dressed in a pair of khakis and a black polo shirt. A smile spread out on his features. "You're done," he observed in wonder.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't want to eat everything in there," I told him, only partly joking.  
  
I noticed Mamoru's eyes dart to the ground where my bags lay next to my feet.  
  
"I can't believe I almost forgot," Mamoru said sheepishly. "Follow me, I'll show you to your room."  
  
Nodding, I gathered my bags and followed him down the hall. "It's directly across from the downstairs bathroom," he told me. "I don't really use it for much other than entertainment, but I think you'll like it. The window has a great view of the city." Just as he finished, he opened a door to the right and held it back as he motioned for me to enter.  
  
I slowly did so and was pleasantly surprised. The walls were a deep burgundy and were bordered by crisp whit crown molding strips. The furniture was all made of sold wood, giving the room a classic style with a comfortable feel. Placed against the center of one wall was a queen-sized bed that had sheets matching the colour scheme of the room. Against the wall at the root of it was a large entertainment center. In addition to all that, the room even contained an air hockey table.  
  
Walking further into the room, I noted a lone door. "What's that for?" I asked gesturing towards it.  
  
"Ahh. that," Mamoru replied. "That's a girl's bestfriend. It leads to a large walk-in closet."  
  
"Nice."  
  
"Very."  
  
As I glanced around the room a second time, the entertainment center caught my eye. It wasn't the big screen plasma that drew my attention, nor was it the large stereo. Instead, it was a small black system.  
  
"You have the old sega?"  
  
"Yup," Mamoru told me proudly.  
  
"Can we play?"  
  
"Sure, I don't see why not. It's not like we need anymore sleep." Mamoru grinned. Then he pulled out two controllers and handed one to me.  
  
I took it eagerly before sitting down on the edge of the bed.  
  
Turning his attention back to the entertainment center, Mamoru opened a cabinet door. "What game do you want to play?"  
  
"What do you have?"  
  
"Let's see.. There's Sonic 2, Talespin, Columns, Super Hang-on, Barkley Shut Up and Jam, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Rev-"  
  
"How about Streets of Rage?"  
  
Mamoru smiled as he pulled out the desired cartridge and attached it to the console. "Sounds good to me." After pressing the power button, he crawled toward the foot of the bed. He took a seat on the carpet next to me, using the bed as something to lean against.  
  
The background music started to play as the introduction script rolled across the screen. From there it went to the character bios.  
  
"Let me guess," Mamoru said. "You'll be playing as Blaze Fielding."  
  
"None other. What about you?"  
  
"Hmm. I'll be going with Adam Hunter."  
  
"No Axel?" I asked.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He kicks weird."  
  
I let out a cheery laugh and the game began.  
  
- - -  
  
"Congratulations, Usa-chan, you have just saved the world from the big fat man with the machine gun for the fourth time in a row."  
  
"Well, I can't take all the credit. You helped too."  
  
"I helped? I'm the one who killed everything."  
  
I laughed nervously. "Not everything."  
  
Mamoru chuckled. "So what do you want to do now?"  
  
"What time do we have to be at the studio?"  
  
"Around seven, but it's just a little past five right now so we still have time. How long will it take for you to get ready?"  
  
"About thirty to forty-five minutes."  
  
"Then," Mamoru said, switching the cartridges, "I guess we have enough time to play a round of Golden Axe."  
  
- - -  
  
"Wow," I whispered as I stepped out of Mamoru's convertible and gazed up at the building. "Is this it?"  
  
"Yup, this is the one," Mamoru replied. Leaning his head towards me, he added, "I remember when I was a kid, we used to always look up at tall buildings and if you looked long enough it'd appear as though the building was about to fall on you."  
  
"I see it."  
  
Mamoru tugged on my white blouse. "Come one, Usa-chan. We have to go inside."  
  
Dumbly, I bobbed my head. At the entrance, Mamoru flashed a card at the security guard who nodded in approval. We then continued our journey by passing through a series of glass doors. At the end was a large foyer. Mamoru went directly to the marble front desk.  
  
"Konnichi wa, Ayame-san," he greeted.  
  
The young lady glanced up from the computer screen. "Mamoru-san! Konnichi wa! It's nice to have you back."  
  
Mamoru smiled. "It's good to be back."  
  
"So who's the girl?" The brunette asked acknowledging me.  
  
"This is Usagi. She's going to be our new Miki. Usa-chan, this is Ayame."  
  
"Ah, Minako's replacement," the secretary smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Usagi-san. Good luck and if you ever need any help getting around the building just ask me for help."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you too. Arigatou."  
  
"Ayame-san, do you know here Yamada-san is?" Mamoru asked.  
  
"Hai, he's in his office. I believe he's awaiting your arrival."  
  
"Arigatou, jamata."  
  
The young secreatry nodded. "Jamata."  
  
I followed Mamoru to a nearby elevator where he swiped his card through a slot. It activated the elevator and the doors opened. As soon as we stepped inside, Mamoru pushed the button labeled with the number eight causing it to illuminate.  
  
With each story we passed, I grew increasingly nervous. I continuously straightened out my black skirt and picked at my blouse. I even used the metal wall to analyze my hair which I had French braided and pinned down to create three-quarters of a braided wreath.  
  
"Usa-chan," Mamoru sighed, "you'll be fine. Just relax."  
  
"I am relaxed," I told him stubbornly.  
  
He frowned and was about to say something else when the doors slid open.  
  
I took several slow, deep breaths as we walked down the corridor. Plants ran along the sides, accenting the one-way mirror walls. After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the end.  
  
Mamoru raised his hand and knocked on the door labeled 'Yamada Shouta.'  
  
"Just a minute," I heard a low voice call out causing my heart to speed up.  
  
It wasn't long until the door opened revealing a middle-aged man. I gulped.  
  
"Konnichi wa, Yamada-san," Mamoru said. "This is the girl whom I was speaking to you and Miyazaki-san about on the phone. Her name is Tsukino Usagi. Usa-chan, this is Yamada Shouta, the director." 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven  
  
"This is the girl whom I was speaking to you and Miyazaki-san about on the phone. Her name is Tsukino Usagi. Usa-chan, this is Yamada Shouta, the director."  
  
- - -  
  
"And producer," the older man added, "director and producer."  
  
"Hai," Mamoru agreed. "My mistake. Gomen nasai."  
  
"Don't worry about it, my friend. Welcome back. And you, child," Shouta said to me, "you may yet save this entire production. I must say, Mamoru- san, you were right. She does bear a great resemblance to Aino-san. Yet," he paused without breaking eye contact with me, "she still somehow manages to maintain an air of her own. A pretty little thing she is."  
  
I blushed and mumbled a thank you.  
  
"Ah, no need to thank me, my dear. I am already in your debt."  
  
"But, you haven't even seen what I can do or what I can't."  
  
Yamada-san shook his head causing his dark hair the sway. "You'll be fine. Chiba-san has yet to lead me astray."  
  
Mamoru gave me a look that directly translated into 'I told you so.'  
  
"Come in, you two and have a seat," Yamada said, opening the door wider.  
  
We entered the office which was furnished with dark woods. The older man went behind the large desk as Mamoru and I sat in the chairs in front of it. Opening on of the drawers, he pulled out a thick pile of papers bound by a set of black plastic rings. He handed it to me.  
  
"This is your copy of the script. You can highlight your lines or do anything else you think will help. It won't be long until we get to film your parts."  
  
I eyed the cover of the book. "Yumemiru," I whispered to myself, reading the title.  
  
"Hai, I believe Mamoru-san has already gone over the basic storyline with you."  
  
Slowly I shook my head from side to side.  
  
"Actually," Mamoru said, slightly embarrassed, "I didn't."  
  
Yamada gave me a shocked look. "You followed blindly?"  
  
"I was trying to help out a friend," I replied.  
  
"Ah, well it doesn't matter. What does is that you find out what this whole movie is about." He folded his arms on top of the desk. "Basically it's the story of a young girl, Yamaguchi Miki, who's played by you. She's your average teenage girl, but she's going on seventeen and has never had a boyfriend or been kissed. By the way, how old are you, Usagi-san?"  
  
"I'll be going on seventeen on June thirtieth."  
  
"Really?" Yamada-san asked. "That's perfect. Have you ever been kissed? Had a boyfriend?"  
  
My cheeks flushed a deep cherry red. I could sense Mamoru's eyes burning into me expectantly. "With all do respect, Yamada-san, I don't think that's necessary information."  
  
"Of course it isn't, but it may help the production."  
  
I sighed in defeat and muttered a 'no.'  
  
"Cheer up, kid. It'll be okay. The longer you wait, the sweeter the pot gets, I always say. It might even end up being an advantage," the older man said. "Anyway, back to the story. So one night Miki goes to sleep as usual, but she wakes up to find herself in a place which resembles feudal Japan. This new land is currently being conquered village by village by forces beyond the natural world. The people's last hopes lie within an ancient prophecy. When Miki first appears, she's treated as a hostile intruder especially by the young man who found her, Narai Kyoshi. Who, as you may have already guessed, is played by Mamoru. Kyoshi, by the way, is also training to become a samurai.  
  
"It isn't until the people witness Miki's forehead flash with the moon insignia that they begin to speculate about her being the woman of the prophecy who will lead their land to victory. Kyoshi, however, remains doubtful. Yet despite these doubts, he is designated as her protector, and together they set off with a small party to find the legendary ginzuishou. It is said that only the chosen one has the ability to find and wield the powerful crystal.  
  
"As the story develops, Miki and Kyoshi get closer, but Kyoshi isn't alone. Or so it seems to him. Miki also develops a close relationship with Kyoshi's best friend and fellow party member, Toshiro. This sends Kyoshi into a jealous state, during which he and Kyoshi get into a fight.  
  
"Eventually, Miki saves the land from the hands of evil and Kyoshi comes clean with his feeling. He gives her a necklace as a token of his affection. But, fate has something else in store for them. That night, Miki goes to bed and wakes up back at home in the present day. So then we leave the audience questioning the validity of the whole adventure-whether it was a bizarre reality or a simple dream."  
  
"Wow," I breathed, taking everything in.  
  
"Are you still interested?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
Yamada-san smiled. "Well then, I think we should get going and give you the royal tour. What do you think Mamoru-san? Or have you already fallen asleep on me."  
  
"No, I'm still here."  
  
"Good, let's go."  
  
- - -  
  
"And this is another office hall. It's basically the same as the one you took to get to my office except at the end of this one is Toshiro's office. He's the assistant producer. I would introduce him to you, but he's on leave today," Yamada-san informed me.  
  
"What's behind the one-way mirrors?" I asked.  
  
This time Mamoru answered. "Most of them are meeting rooms, but a few are small offices."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Yamada-san pushed his sleeve up to check his watch. "Speaking of meeting, I have one in about ten minutes so I'll have to be leaving now. I'm sorry I won't be able to finish the tour, Usagi-san, but I believe we only had the bottom two levels to visit. I'm sure Mamoru will be able to handle then."  
  
The young man nodded.  
  
"Have fun, kids," Yamada said as he entered the elevator.  
  
"Well that was fun," I commented once the doors had closed.  
  
"Yeah," Mamoru agreed. "I would just stop now, but I think you'll actually really enjoy the next stop.  
  
"And where's that?"  
  
"Make-up and wardrobe," Mamoru answered, stepping into another elevator.  
  
"And I'm supposed to really enjoy those because."  
  
"You're a girl. Girls like that sort of stuff," he said grinning.  
  
"You are such a sexist jerk."  
  
"Yet, I'm one of your best friends."  
  
"I know. Ironic, isn't it?"  
  
"Extremely."  
  
"At least they have good elevator music."  
  
My voice was met with a moment of silence.  
  
"That," Mamoru said, "that was really random, Usa-chan."  
  
"I know," I replied as we entered the second floor. "So which way, left or right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
We entered the first floor we came across.  
  
"This is a makeup room. They're all basically set up the same way," Mamoru informed me.  
  
"Wow, that's a lot of mirrors."  
  
Mamoru and I spent a few minutes gazing around the room before moving to the exit. Just as Mamoru was about to turn the knob, the door opened and a tall, dark-skinned female entered. She jolted slightly when she came face to face with Mamoru who still stood a couple of inches above her. A smile broke out on his face.  
  
"Konnichi, Kimi-chan," he greeted. "How have you been?"  
  
"Konnichi. I've been great. You?"  
  
"Same."  
  
"That's good," Kimi replied. "So what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm just showing Usagi-chan, here, around. It's her first day."  
  
"I see. I hope you have fun here, Usagi-san."  
  
I smiled gratefully.  
  
"Do you know where the gang is, Kimi-chan?" Mamoru asked.  
  
"Yeah, they're in the café."  
  
"Domou. Ja!"  
  
"Ja!"  
  
As soon as we left the room, I turned to Mamoru. "Who is she?"  
  
"Part of the make-up team. We hang out together often. Come on, I want you to meet the rest of our little group."  
  
- - -  
  
"That's them," Mamoru told me.  
  
I followed his gaze to a table in the corner of the café. A small group of six was seated around it, chatting away.  
  
"Konnichi, minna!" Mamoru said.  
  
"Mamoru-kun, hey! What's up?" A young man with brown hair replied as he stood and exchanged a secret handshake with my friend.  
  
"Not much, but I hear Minako left."  
  
The strange grimaced. "Yeah, they announced that a new girl's coming today to fill her spot. I wonder if she's pretty."  
  
"I guess you could say that."  
  
The eyes of the stranger widened. "How would you know?"  
  
"I guess you could say we've met."  
  
"You guess?"  
  
Mamoru shrugged. "I should probably take that back. I know."  
  
"You know?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"So."  
  
"So what?"  
  
"What's she like?"  
  
"You should figure that out for yourself."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose."  
  
"I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you," I said smiling.  
  
The brown-haired guy finally took notice of me. "Thanks, but who are you?"  
  
"She."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"The girl you were just referring to as 'she.'"  
  
"You mean, you're."  
  
"Tsukino Usagi, Aino-san's replacement," I finished for him.  
  
He grinned. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. The name's Ken." Motioning towards the table, he continued. "And that's Miya, she's part of the makeup and hairdressing crew; Midori, she's in wardrobe; Yoshi, he's the camera operator; and Daichi and Aya, they're both in the props department."  
  
My smile widened as I held my hand up in greeting.  
  
"Why don't you join us?" Ken offered. "We've still got a while before we have to go back."  
  
"Sure," Mamoru replied. "I'm always up for another meal."  
  
- - -  
  
"Thank you so much for coming, Tsukino-san," Midori said. She gave me a quick hug before striding back to the clothes racks.  
  
"Please just call me Usagi. 'Tuskino-san' sounds too much like my parents."  
  
Midori laughed, her green eyes sparkling. "Of course, but really, you have no idea how much of a help you are. You're making my job so much easier."  
  
"My pleasure."  
  
It was my second day on the job. All we had done on the first day was tours and introductions, but today I was to start costume fittings.  
  
"Okay," Midori said, her hand hovering above a pale pink kimono with a cheery blossom design, "I think we'll start with this one."  
  
Briskly she walked over to a dressing room and handed the clothing item to me. "Come out when you've got it one and we'll see if we need to do any alterations."  
  
I nodded as I entered the room. After divesting myself of my t-shirt and jeans, I slid into a simple slip-like dress which I later placed the elegant kimono over. The smooth silk felt so good against my skin. Unsure of how tight to tie the sash, I gathered in my hands and headed out. Midori was standing right beside the door.  
  
"I didn't know how you wanted it tied," I explained holding the sash out to her.  
  
Midori smiled softly. "It's okay. I don't think we really needed it anyway. Follow me."  
  
She led me to a small platform which was surrounded half-way by three mirrors as I stood on the top, she carefully inspected my outfit. Every once in a while she would lightly reposition the kimono.  
  
"Well it looks pretty good to me," she commented when a few minutes had passed. "I think all I'll have to do is lift the bottom hem a little and maybe even tuck the dress' waistline a tennie bit. Otherwise, it's fine."  
  
Satisfied, we went back to the clothes rack and I tried on a few other kimonos, all of which were much simpler than the first. The hours ticked by with each outfit. I noticed Midori glance at the clock.  
  
"We only have time for one more so let's make it a good one," she said as she searched through the clothing rack. "How about this?"  
  
I gasped, awestruck by the dress she had just pulled out. It was deep maroon with a tight bodice and a bellowing skirt. The shoulder straps were thin but their simplicity only added to its grace. It was the dress that Miki was to wear to the dance where she got slammed by the most popular guys in school at the beginning of the movie.  
  
"If I remember correctly this was the one outfit that didn't fit Aino-san," Midori informed me. "The measurements were off so the dress came out a little too small. Hopefully it'll fit you."  
  
I anxiously took the dress and changed into it in record timing. When I was done, I made my way over to the platform.  
  
Midori smiled approvingly. "How does it feel?"  
  
"Like a dream."  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
Just as she had done with the previous outfits, she inspected the dress carefully, tugging and pulling.  
  
"So how do you like Tokyo?"  
  
I beamed, glad to have something to do other than just stand. "It's been great so far, but I haven't really been able to go out and take a good look at it yet."  
  
"Oh. I'm sure you'll be able to see it soon."  
  
"Yeah, that is if we can actually go anywhere without Mamoru getting bombarded by a bunch of flirting girls."  
  
Midori gave a light laugh. "They always seem to do that when he's around."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Can I try something?" She asked, straightening her posture.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Would you mind if I took your hair down?"  
  
I shook my head. "Go for it."  
  
She stepped onto the platform and released my trademark buns causing blonde hair to cascade in waves all the way down to my waist.  
  
"That's great," Midori said as she stepped back to get a better look. "So what about you?"  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"You interested in Mamoru?"  
  
I struggled to fight with an oncoming blush. "You've got to be kidding me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He's my best friend."  
  
"So."  
  
"It'll seem all wrong."  
  
"You know, Usagi-san, some of the best relationships come out of friendships."  
  
"Well this one's a part of the some that aren't."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
I decided it was best to leave that question unanswered. Luckily just as Midori was about to say something else, the door opened.  
  
"Konnichi wa, minna! I hope you all had a good day. Not working too hard I- " His words faded away when he saw us by the mirrors.  
  
"Hi, Mamo-chan."  
  
"Whoa, nice dress."  
  
My cheeks flooded with colour. "Domou."  
  
In one of the mirrors, I noticed Midori raise he eyebrow. I shook my head with a sigh.  
  
"You were saying?" I asked, returning my attention to Mamoru.  
  
He appeared to snap out of his daze at my words, but confusion was clearly written all over his face. "What?"  
  
"You were in the middle of saying something when you came in."  
  
"Ah, right. I just came in to pick you up. It's time to go."  
  
"Already?"  
  
"Yeah, it's five-thirty."  
  
"I guess what they say is true," I said. "Time flies when you're having fun. Thanks for everything, Midori."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go change real quick," I announced before walking back to the dressing rooms.  
  
As I undressed, I heard Mamoru and Midori talking, but their voices were too faint to make out what they were saying.  
  
From the previous event, I figured that Mamoru probably liked Midori. The way that he had stared at her was just a little too obvious. But, it would make sense. After all, they were both nineteen and gifted. I had learned yesterday that Midori had graduated from school early and entered her profession despite her parents' protests. Not to mention the fact that she was built like a model with her tall, slim body and perfectly styled brown hair. They were perfect for each other.  
  
After carefully placing the dress back on the hanger, I returned to the area where the platform was situated. Midori met me with a smile.  
  
"I'll take that," she said, gathering the dress in her arms. "You two can run along now. Have a good night and don't stay up too late."  
  
"Yes, mother," Mamoru said sarcastically causing Midori to stick her tongue out at him.  
  
"Thanks again, Midori-san."  
  
"Hey, no problem. Besides, I'm just doing my job. I'll see you tomorrow.  
  
I nodded with a smile, but as Mamoru and I exited the room, I couldn't help but be aware of the way that Midori and Mamoru winked at each other.  
  
- - -  
  
"Hey, Usa-chan, get up," I heard Mamoru whisper as he nudged my shoulder.  
  
I rolled over and tucked my head under the fluffy pillow. "Just a few more minutes, I swear."  
  
"You said that ten minutes ago."  
  
"Then just ten more."  
  
Mamoru gave an exasperated sigh. "Come one, Usa-chan. You've got a big day ahead of you."  
  
I remained unmoving within the comfort of my blanket.  
  
"Fine, fine," Mamoru said, giving in.  
  
I smiled smugly from beneath the pillow when I felt the left side of the bed rise up.  
  
"Gomen, but she's too sleepy to come to the phone right now," I heard Mamoru say as he headed for the door. "Hai, I did. She ignored me. Okay, I'll be sure to tell her that you and the girls sent her your birthday wished, Ikuko-san. Hai, Kenji and Shingo too. I'll remember."  
  
My ears perked up. Ikuko? Kenji? Shingo? Girls? I immediately dashed from the bed and over to Mamoru.  
  
"Give me that," I said, reaching for the phone.  
  
Mamoru chuckled, easily dodging my attempt. "Hai, that's her. I think she's wide awake now. Hold on a sec. Here she is." He handed me the phone; a smirk plastered on his face.  
  
I glared playfully at him as he exited the room. When he was gone, I brought the phone up to my ear.  
  
"Ohayou!" I said, all sign of sleepiness gone.  
  
I was replied by a chorus of "Usagi-chan"'s and a single "Oneesan" which was followed by an original rendition of the Happy Birthday song. My laugh rang through the room.  
  
Thank goodness for speaker phones.  
  
- - -  
  
"You ready for you first day?"  
  
I glanced at Midori from out of the corner of my eye so as not to disturb Miya's work. "If this is ready, I really don't want to know what it's like when I'm not."  
  
"Eh, you'll be fine," Midori assured me.  
  
"Tell me that when I come out dead."  
  
"Close," Miya ordered, holding up a palette of eye shadow. Obediently I shut my eyes.  
  
"You're not going to come out dead. I can guarantee you that."  
  
"Don't make promises you can't keep."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind, but I intend on keeping this one."  
  
"Okay, we're done," Miya declared standing. "All I can say now is ganbatte."  
  
"Arigatou."  
  
I sat admiring her handiwork until I noticed that the two older women were staring at me. "What?" I asked, puzzled.  
  
"What are you still doing here? Get your but out of the chair and into the studio."  
  
I laughed nervously. "Right, right."  
  
Though I was due at studio three as soon as make-up was done with me, I decided it would be best for my sanity to take the longest route. I was glad that my first day in front of the camera would be in one of the main building studios instead of on the actual studio campus a mile away. Being in familiar territory helped calm my nerves some. Or at least I thought it did. I couldn't really tell considering how rattled my nerves were. Did that just defeat the whole purpose of this ramble?  
  
When I reached the dreaded door, I released a long gush of air. I opened the door quickly so as to eliminate any chance of backing out.  
  
"Hey, Usa-chan, glad you made it," Mamoru said when he saw me. "You ready?"  
  
I frowned. "Please don't make me go through that conversation again."  
  
"What ever you want."  
  
"So where do I go?"  
  
"There a set situated on the other side of the room," he explained as we walked. "It's simple but effective."  
  
"The bedroom, right?"  
  
"You got it."  
  
"Usagi-san," Yamada yelled, "you're on in five."  
  
My face paled and my hands began to clam with sweat. Mamoru must have noticed since a worried look passed over his face.  
  
"Usa-chan, are you okay?"  
  
I took my eyes off the set momentarily and dryly said, "It's my birthday. I can cry if I want to."  
  
Mamoru grimaced. "You'll be okay. It's only two scenes. They'll go by really fast."  
  
"I just don't want to let anyone down."  
  
"Hey," Mamoru pulled me into a friendly hug, "you're not going to let anyone down. Don't think like that."  
  
"But what about-"  
  
"Shhh. you're giving this whole production hope just by being here. Now go and show them what you've got."  
  
I nodded and headed towards the custom built set. Carefully I dusted off the elegant maroon dress along the way.  
  
"Okay, Usagi-san, we're going to be doing one of the first scenes and then the last one. The earlier scene starts with you entering the bedroom after eth dance. Do you remember this scene?"  
  
"Hai, Yamada-san."  
  
"Good. Everyone get into your position!" The director ordered. "All right. Lights, camera, action!"  
  
- - -  
  
Miki stormed into the room, causing the door to swing wildly.  
  
"I can't believe he did that to me!" She screamed at the ceiling. "Unbelievable! It's completely unbelievable! And in front of everyone too!"  
  
She stalked to center of the room and tossed a random pillow at the wall. "It's not fair! It's not."  
  
With a frustrated sigh, she fell back onto the bed. A lone tear slid down her cheek.  
  
"Why me? Oh, Kami-sama, I hate my life."  
  
Taking in a long, deep breath, Miki unbuckled her shoes before kicking them off. Turning, she gave a nearby teddy bear a sad smile.  
  
"At least I've always got you, Wellington," she said, hugging the light- coloured bear.  
  
Then she crawled to the head of the bed. Without bothering to change out of her dress, she slipped under his pale blue and white blankets. Then she reached out for the bedside lamp and switched it off.  
  
- - -  
  
"And cut!" Yamada shouted.  
  
I breathed a huge sigh of relief, barely registering the round of applause I had received.  
  
"Switch the lights back on," Yamada ordered. "Kimi-san, I need some touch up on Usagi's makeup."  
  
Everyone began to scurry around as the middle-aged man came up to me.  
  
"That was great, Usagi-san, but I just want to try it a few more takes. This time try it with a little more anger. I know you're a sweet girl, but remember the supposed 'love of your life' just shot you down and burned you in front of the entire school. You're not liking this one bit."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"By the way, I loved the tear. It was perfect."  
  
Beaming, I thanked him.  
  
"Okay, people," Yamada said, returning to his designated chair. "Placed, places, places. We're going for take two."  
  
- - -  
  
We finished the first scene after three takes and now we were onto the second which basically picked up right where the first scene had taken off.  
  
"Usagi-san, are you set?"  
  
I sent the director a thumbs-up sign.  
  
"Okay, people," he said, "you know the drill. Take one, action!"  
  
- - -  
  
Miki slowly rolled over, repositioning herself. She felt her teddy bear and then her bed, but it wasn't until she opened her eyes that it truly hit her. She was back in her room.  
  
"Was it just a dream?" She whispered to herself as sadness crept over her. She wanted to cry all over again.  
  
Suppressing her tears, she stumbled out of her bed and over to a mirror. She was the same as the night she had gone to sleep except now her dress was wrinkled. Overcome with the silent pain, she began to cry, but as the tears came flooding down she noticed something on her dresser catch the morning light. Cautiously she walked over to the object. It was the necklace that Toshiro had given her.  
  
She picked it up and delicately traced it with her fingers. A soft smile spread out on her features.  
  
"Aishiteru Toshiro-kun. Aishiteru."  
  
- - -  
  
"And that's a wrap for today!" Yamada announced.  
  
I stared at him flabbergasted. "Are you serious?"  
  
He grinned. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"It was only the first take."  
  
"And a brilliant first take it was."  
  
I continued to stare at him as he retreated. Then I felt an arm go around my shoulder. Tilting my head, I saw Mamoru's proud face.  
  
"See?" He said. "What'd I tell ya."  
  
- - -  
  
"Usa-chan," Mamoru called as he knocked on the door, "hurry up or we're going to be late."  
  
"Just a second. I'm almost done," I replied as I hooked on the diamond string earrings my parents had given me exactly a year ago. I had never found an appropriate occasion to wear them until now. After all, Mamoru had told me to dress fancy.  
  
I glanced into the full length mirror. I adorned in a simple yet elegant black dress with inch thick straps. To match the dress, I wore a pair of two-and-a-half-inch heeled buckle shoes. My hair was pulled up in a messy bun, but I was currently debating on whether put it down or leave it up.  
  
After giving a sigh, I picked up my sleek black handbag and headed out where I found Mamoru sprawled out on a couch.  
  
"I'm ready," I said.  
  
Mamoru turned his head in my direction, but didn't say a word.  
  
I coughed and repeated myself just in case he hadn't heard the first time. However the only reaction I got out of him was another "nice dress" comment.  
  
I thanked him politely before adding, "You seem to have a thing for dresses. Are you sure you don't want one too?"  
  
He grinned. "Depends."  
  
I smiled and eyed his keys which lay on the coffee table. "Why won't you tell me where we're going?"  
  
"It's a surprise," he told me mysteriously as he picked up his keys.  
  
I followed him out of the penthouse. "A surprise?"  
  
"Don't tell me you don't like surprises."  
  
"They're agonizing."  
  
"But that's the fun part."  
  
"Easy for you to say. You know what's going on."  
  
When we entered his car, he turned towards me with a cheeky look.  
  
"What are you going to do?" I asked, backing up as close as I could to the door.  
  
"Nothing," he nonchalantly replied.  
  
"Uh-huh, and I'm supposed to believe that."  
  
"Okay, so I need you to wear this."  
  
I glanced down at his fist and saw a black cloth clutched between his long fingers.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"A blindfold. You don't mind do you?"  
  
Shrugging, I said, "I'm already in this far."  
  
The last thing I saw prior to the dark fabric slipping over my eyes was Mamoru's grinning countenance.  
  
- - -  
  
The rest of the car ride was quiet save for the engine humming and the radio. I found that holding a normal conversation with something you can't see made me feel insane.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, the car came to a stop. I heard Mamoru step out and began to do the same.  
  
"Good afternoon, ma'am," I heard a young man say. The voice was completely unknown to me, but the formality in his tone gave me the idea that he was on the job.  
  
"I've got her," Mamoru's voice cut through my thought. "Thank you anyway."  
  
"My pleasure, sir."  
  
"Take my hand," Mamoru told me softly. "Now slowly get out-careful! Watch your step. Good. Just wait a sec; I'll be right back."  
  
His hand slipped out of mine momentarily as I heard the car door shut, but he was back at my side in the blink of an eye.  
  
"Okay, just walk slow and follow my movements."  
  
I nodded mutely.  
  
"You do know that you can talk, right?"  
  
"I know."  
  
We continued walking forward until Mamoru tugged me back. I was about to ask him what happened when a new voice spoke up. "Name please, sir."  
  
"Chiba."  
  
"Chiba. Chiba. Chiba," I heard the old man repeat as he flipped through what sounded like a stack of papers. "Ah, here you are. Chiba Mamoru, I presume."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Kouhei!" The old man called out.  
  
There was some scurrying as he waited for the designated person to arrive.  
  
"Kouhei, can you please take this gentleman and his lady to their table?"  
  
I opened my mouth to correct him, but Kouhei beat me to speaking.  
  
"Yes, sir. Please follow me, Chiba-sama."  
  
Mamoru led me into an elevator where we stayed for a few minutes. It was then that the bell sounded, announcing that we had arrived at our destination. We only had to take a few steps out of the elevator.  
  
"This is it, sir," Kouhei said. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Someone will be with you shortly."  
  
"Arigatou," replied Mamoru. He then waited for him to leave before continuing. "Okay, Usa-chan. Are you ready?"  
  
"Of course," I said, despite the fact that people seemed to be asking me that question an awful lot lately.  
  
I could feel him tug on the blindfold as he attempted to untie the knot. He grunted at his failures.  
  
"Mamo-chan, hurry up."  
  
"I'm trying. There, I got it."  
  
The cloth fell away from my eyes revealing a large group of people huddled in between the elegant tables.  
  
"Happy birthday, Usagi-chan!" They all shouted together. Some blew whistles while others cheered. It was so loud that I was a little taken back. I smiled none-the-less, but the smile grew even wider when I recognized the people were-the crew, my family, and even my friends from back home.  
  
Kioko was the first to reach me, or rather fly into me. Her giant bear hug was almost suffocating; however I managed to return it.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Have you seen what I've seen?!" She exclaimed. "There are so many actors here. Oh my gosh! Ah! Yamada Shouta! Yamada-san, may I please have your autograph?" She ran off in her usual bubbly mode leaving me to laugh after her.  
  
"Usagi-chan," I hear Yuki say in a quiet voice from behind. I turned around and came face to face with the platinum blonde.  
  
"Hey," I greeted, hugging her. "It's been so long."  
  
"I know. Too long."  
  
"How'd you all get here?" I asked curiously.  
  
Yuki glanced over my shoulder. "It was all Mamoru's work. This whole thing was his idea."  
  
I unconsciously smiled at the newfound knowledge.  
  
"Maybe you should go talk to him," she suggested.  
  
Nodding, I went off to look for the ebony-haired man. I found him chatting with Motoki and a bunch of the crew members.  
  
"Hi," I said, poking him in the side.  
  
He glanced down at me, smirking. "Hey."  
  
"Yuki told me. Thanks for everything, Mamo-chan. This has been a great birthday."  
  
I was surprised when he frowned. "Already? But I haven't even finished with you yet."  
  
"What?"  
  
Without replying, he led me to one of the more secluded areas of the building level.  
  
"Have you looked out the windows yet?" he asked me.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Well, I recommend that you do."  
  
Glancing out of the large windows, I could see specks of light peaking through the sky's dark blue blanket. They city streets hovered below.  
  
I gasped. "Is this."  
  
He nodded. "The Tokyo Tower."  
  
"Oh my gosh." I bombarded him with a hug. "Thank you so much."  
  
"Don't get too excited. I'm still not done."  
  
"But, you've already done so much. and I didn't get you anything."  
  
Mamoru gave a loud laugh. "It's your birthday, silly. Not mine. Just one more," he promised. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."  
  
I stared at him skeptically.  
  
"Trust me," he said, but I still wasn't convinced. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"  
  
I raised my eyebrow.  
  
"I mean today," he added.  
  
Sighing I did as he had asked. I felt something light being placed into my hand.  
  
"Okay, you can open your eyes."  
  
When I did I saw a ticket lying in my hands. I raised it higher to get a better look.  
  
"It's a backstage pass to the next Three Lights concert in Tokyo," he timidly explained, something that I was not accustomed to seeing him do. "I overheard you on the phone when I first arrived in Toya. You were talking about how you had to skip out on their concert to hang around with me so I wanted to make it up to you and say thanks. But, I figured it wouldn't hurt to do you one better and get you backstage to meet the group. I had to pull a few strings but."  
  
I immediately wrapped him up in another hug. "Arigatou, Mamo-chan, for the best birthday ever." 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter 8  
  
The room plunged into darkness eliciting excited screams from the crowd. Music began to flow from the speakers. Then a spotlight turned on, revealing a lone figure on the left center of the stage.  
  
"Search for your love."  
  
Another spotlight was turn on as the tune repeated. This time it lit up the right center area and unveiled another figure. Finally, a third spotlight was focused on center stage where the last young man stood, singing the four words once more. They were the three lights.  
  
The audience's cries grew louder and I joined them in mouthing the song's lyrics.  
  
"Kima wa itsu mo kagayai te da  
  
egao hitotsu chiisana hoshi  
  
taisetsu ni shite ta yo (eyen no starlight.)***"  
  
I sighed contently, leaning back against the wall. This was so much fun! Mamoru had even turned out to be pretty good company even if you considered the fact that he obviously hadn't taken a liking to this style of music.  
  
The song finished with a fade effect as the lights died down. The second it was done, applause thundered through the hall  
  
"Domou arigatou, minna!" The dark-haired lead singer announced into the microphone. "Have a good night."  
  
"We love you Tokyo!" All three shouted together before exiting the stage.  
  
I simply stared at the black abyss the trio had disappeared into until Mamoru tugged on my jean jacket.  
  
"Are you just going to stand there or do you still actually want to meet them?"  
  
I smirked. "I don't think there's any need to answer that question."  
  
- - -  
  
"Are you sure we were supposed to turn left?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What do you mean no?"  
  
"I guessed."  
  
"Didn't you listen to what the ticket guy said?"  
  
I shook my head solemnly. "I was concentrating on the concert back then. What about you."  
  
"Nope, I thought you would."  
  
"Well this sure does leave us in a pickle."  
  
"A mighty big pickle," Mamoru added as we walked around the floor in circles. "Hey, maybe we can try asking that guy." He suggested, motioning towards a middle-aged man strolling down the hall.  
  
I immediately ran up to the man. "Excuse me, sir."  
  
"May I help you with something?"  
  
"Actually, yes. See, my friend and I are having some trouble finding the three Lights' dressing room and we were wondering if you could help us."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to just give out information like that. There will be a formal signing tomorrow if you would like to meet the group. All you need for admission is your concert ticket."  
  
"They're expecting us today, sir," Mamoru informed him. He held out our cards. "We have backstage passes."  
  
The stranger checked them with a careful eye and gave a single nod showing that he was satisfied. "Just keep walking down this hall. Take the last left and then the first right. It's the second door on the right. The door's unlabeled, but don't let it discourage you. Ganbatte."  
  
"Thank you, sir," I said politely prior to parting.  
  
Once we had rounded the first corner, I slapped Mamoru lightly on the back. "That was good one. 'They're expecting us.' I almost believed you myself."  
  
"I sure hope you did, because they are."  
  
"Wow." I couldn't think of anything else to say.  
  
We remained in a comfortable silence until we reached the door the man had directed us to. Mamoru raised his hand, but hesitated a knock. He turned to me as if asking for permission.  
  
I smoothed out my beige skirt and black tank top. Then I sent Mamoru a thumbs up sign. His knuckles hit the door three times before falling back to his sides.  
  
Faint murmurs were heard from the other side followed by rustling. Anxiously I swayed from foot to foot, balancing the sides of my black knee- high boots.  
  
After a minute had passed the door was opened a crack and a dark-haired head popped out. "Hello?" asked the young man whom I instantly recognized as Kou Seiya, the lead vocal of the Three Lights.  
  
"Konnichi wa!" I replied.  
  
Seiya gave me a smile, but his confusion was apparent. Then he noticed Mamoru and it seemed as though a light had just been switched on. "Ah, Chiba-san, it's good to finally meet you, and you must be the birthday girl. Usagi, am I right?"  
  
"Hai, it's good to meet you too, Kou-san."  
  
Seiya released the door allowing it to fully swing open. "Come on in. It's a little messy; I hope you don't mind. By the way, that's a really pretty outfit you're wearing, Usagi-san."  
  
I blushed profusely and replied with a quiet "thank you."  
  
"Seiya, stop hitting on the poor girl," a brown-haired man said, stepping forward. "Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable," Seiya pointed out. "I was just complementing her."  
  
"Maybe so, but you were still making her uncomfortable."  
  
"No, I wasn't."  
  
"Yes, you were."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Brothers, brothers!" A twenty-one year old platinum blonde shouted as he separated the two arguing men. "You're both making her uncomfortable by fighting. Now shut up." Reaching out a hand to me, he said, "I'm Kou Yaten, the keyboardist of the group, and those knuckleheads are my brothers, Taiki and Seiya."  
  
"I know,' I vigorously shook his hand. "I'm a big fan."  
  
"So I've heard. How'd you like the concert?"  
  
I smiled. "It was great! The lighting effects were fabulous! My little brother would've loved it. I mean, he's not too big on your music but the way you presented everything would have made the biggest critic love the show."  
  
"That's great. I'm glad you enjoyed it. How old is your brother?"  
  
"He's ten, really sweet kind. This is his first year playing in the little league."  
  
"Little league, huh?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Are you a big baseball fan?"  
  
"You bet!"  
  
"Cool, Seiya is too. Aren't you, Seiya?" He glanced at his motionless sibling. "Seiya? Hey, Seiya, snap out of it!"  
  
Seiya rapidly blinked his eyes. "What?"  
  
"I was just telling Usagi about how you're a big baseball fan."  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
Yaten stared at Seiya expectantly as a brief silence passed through the room.  
  
"What?" The younger man asked innocently.  
  
I ignoring his youngest brother, Yaten turned to me. "You must be tired from standing the whole time. Why don't you take a seat," he pointed at some stools situated by the mirror on the far side of the room. I'm sure Seiya can keep you company."  
  
"Uh, sure... I guess," I replied, moving over to the stools with Seiya.  
  
"So," he began as we slid onto the seats, "how long have you been in Tokyo?"  
  
"Almost a month."  
  
"Really? That pretty cool."  
  
"Yeah." I absently entwined my fingers. "Do you live here? In Tokyo, I mean. Not in the building."  
  
Seiya chuckled. "Hai, but we're mostly on the road, touring, now."  
  
"Must be fun."  
  
"It is," he agreed simply. "Do you also get the feeling that we're being set up here?"  
  
"Definitely," I said, extremely aware of the multiple eyes upon us. "Do you think they'll be watching for long?"  
  
"No doubt."  
  
I laughed lightly. "So you like baseball, huh?"  
  
Seiya's eyes lit up. "Do I ever! Live to play and play to live, or at least that's how it was before the whole singing thing happened."  
  
"You ever regret it?"  
  
He smiled. "Never. If I wasn't singing, I wouldn't be here with you."  
  
- - -  
  
"So we all put on our mismatched costumes and skipped down the street singing 'We're off to see the wizard. It was so much fun. You should have seen the face that Shiro's father made when he opened to door for a bunch of oddly-dressed girls screaming "Happy Halloween" in the middle of May."  
  
Seiya burst out laughing, tears welling in his eyes. "You have some great friends back in Toya."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You must miss them a lot. I know what's it's like having to leave your friends behind."  
  
I tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "I do, but I've got Mamo-chan here so it isn't all that bad."  
  
"Are you and he-" Seiya paused, appearing as though he was rethinking things over.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Are you and he. you know."  
  
"I'm afraid I don't."  
  
"Is he," he said cautiously, is he your boyfriend?"  
  
I giggled. "You have got to be kidding me."  
  
He gave me a blank look. "Is that a no?"  
  
"Definitely."  
  
"Well I just though that because."  
  
"It's okay," I assured him with a smile. "Don't sweat it."  
  
He released a deep breath.  
  
"Hey, Seiya," Taiki called. "We have to get going. We still have that interview in the morning and I'm guessing you're going to want some sleep before it."  
  
Seiya nodded. "Give me five minutes." Turning back to me, he simply said, "Have coffee with me tomorrow afternoon."  
  
I blinked in surprise. "Tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah, I had a lot of fun talking to you today. So how about it?"  
  
I took a moment to think about it. Kioko would surely kill me if she ever found out that I had passed up on an offer like this. Kuri and Yuki probably would too; If Kioko didn't finished me off herself that is. It's not like I had anything to lose, right? I sighed inwardly. There was something holding me back, but I couldn't tell what is was. Well I supposed there isn't a point in waiting for the uncertain.  
  
"Sure," I told Seiya. "Coffee sounds great."  
  
- - -  
  
Gotta hurry. Gotta hurry. Gotta hurry.  
  
The words repeated over and over in my mind as I raced through the busy Tokyo streets. I was already fifteen minutes late. Fifteen! I only hoped that Seiya didn't think that I was standing him up.  
  
"Sorry, ma'am!" I cried out when I narrowly dodged a woman in the late forties. While I sped away, I could hear her mutter a few choice words about kids and manners "these days."  
  
I would've stopped and made sure she was okay, but I was already so late and she seemed to be perfectly fine. Why didn't I just accept that ride Mamoru had offered? I could've punched myself for being so stupid.  
  
After rounding a corner, the designated cafe finally came into view. I dashed into it and came to an abrupt halt.  
  
As I searched for Seiya, I forced my pants to slow down into deep breaths. I spotted him at the front counter with his back to me. I quietly walked over to him.  
  
"Hey," I greeted, sliding onto the red leather stool next to him. "Glad you're still here. I'm really sorry I was later. I got held up at the studio."  
  
He smiled. "No problem. Besides, you're worth the wait."  
  
I giggled, trying to cover up the blush that was creeping onto my cheeks.  
  
"Seiya-san, I see your friend has arrived," a waitress said from the other side of the counter. She wore a white polo shirt and a dark green pleated miniskirt, the uniform of the female employees. "Are you ready to order?"  
  
"Hai," Seiya replied, "I'll have the usual coffee and the lady will have." He looked at me.  
  
"A white chocolate mocha, thanks."  
  
"Alrightly," the waitress said, slipping the pencil she had been recording with behind her ear. "I'm be right back."  
  
"Do you come here often?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a great place to just relax. You know what I mean?"  
  
I nodded. "We have a placed like that in Toya. It' called Crown. One of my best friends, Motoki, works there."  
  
The waitress returned with two steaming mugs. "Here you are; one cappuccino and a white chocolate mocha. Will there be anything else?"  
  
Seiya glanced and me, and I shook my head. "That's it," he told her.  
  
I thanked her before she left. Then I turned my attention to the drink in front of me and took a sip. Even though the temperature was warm, the beverage felt good as it slid down my throat. When I was satisfied, I carefully set the cup back down.  
  
"How'd the interview go?"  
  
"It was the same as every other one."  
  
"Is that good or bad?"  
  
Seiya tilted his head up at the ceiling. "I don't really know. It went fine, but seriously some of the questions they are so weird. What's even funnier is that multiple people often asked that same strange question. Seriously, how many times do people want to know whether I wear boxers or briefs or whether I use a separate shampoo and conditioner or a two-in- one."  
  
I laughed out loud, almost to the point of falling off the stool. "I always wondered what it would be like to be interviewed, to be the one people want to know about."  
  
"Well you won't have to wait for long."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Mamoru told us you were working on a movie with him; that's why you're in Tokyo. They'll want to interview you sooner or later."  
  
"I never thought of that," I mused, cupping my hands around the beverage.  
  
"Just remember," Seiya said, "there's going to be really nice people as well as ones that you may believe to be the embodiment of evil. But no matter what happens, don't let anything get you down."  
  
We talked for the rest of the hour about random things, and at four o'clock Seiya offered to walk me home. I, of course, accepted.  
  
When we reached the door to Mamoru's penthouse, a moment of awkwardness occurred. Neither of us was really sure of what to do, but I eventually settled on a hug. With that decision, all of the previous awkwardness dissipated.  
  
"I'll see you later," Seiya said.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for the coffee."  
  
"Anytime." He winked.  
  
I knocked on the door which immediately opened. Then I bid Seiya my last farewells before slipping inside. The second the door's lock click, I gave Mamoru a giant bear hug.  
  
He looked at me, shocked. "What was that for?"  
  
"For introducing me to Seiya; he's a really sweet guy. Thank you, Mamo- chan."  
  
- - -  
  
*** English Translation:  
  
You always shine  
  
Your smile is like a little star  
  
I like it so much (eternal starlight.)  
  
~ Lyrics from Nagareboshi He 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine  
  
The bleachers rumbled and the crowd roared with cheers as Shingo's team- mate hit a double, allowing my little brother to dart to home plate. He had been allowed to play full-time for a couple weeks now, just in time to get ready for the All-Kansai Tournament semi-finals. The team was doing great. So far, no loses had tainted their season.  
  
"Wow, that's a pretty good team your town's got there," Seiya commented never taking his eyes off the field.  
  
"I agree," Mamoru added, "and to think they're just a rookie team."  
  
"Rookie smookie." I stood up. "Let's go to the dugout."  
  
The three of us carefully filed out of the bleachers and headed to the caged area where the players were situated. Even though it wasn't a hole of any king but rather a row of benches behind a chain-link fence, everyone still referred to it as "the dugout."  
  
"Onee-chan!" my little brother yelled when he saw me approaching. He took off hi cap and waved it in the air. "Konnichi wa, Mamoru-sempai."  
  
"Hey, champ. Nice game," Mamoru congratulated as he ruffled Shingo's light brown hair.  
  
The little boy's eyes lit up like Venus in the night sky. "Arigatou." Then he faced Seiya. "Wow, more famous people."  
  
Seiya chuckled. "Good swing."  
  
"Kou Seiya said I made a good wing!" Shingo beamed. "To think, Kou Seiya is my sister's boyfriend. Way cool!"  
  
I laughed and noticed my parents walking over. They returned my wave.  
  
"Come on, son," My father said. "Time to head to the victory party."  
  
"Hai, I sure am hungry!"  
  
The two of them set off for the car, leaving my mother to have a few last words with me.  
  
"We're going to be at the crown for a few hours," she explained. "If you need to reach us, you know how. Take care and don't stay out too late."  
  
"I won't," I replied routinely.  
  
"Take care of her, Mamoru-san. Although I know you will anyway."  
  
"Okaasan," I whined through clenched teeth.  
  
I must have made a face as well, because Mamoru laughed. "Of course, Ikuko- san."  
  
"I should be going now. You know the boys. It was nice to meet you again, Seiya-san."  
  
"You too, Tsukino-san."  
  
After my mother's departure, I pulled a key-chain from my pocket. "To Shiro's?"  
  
- - -  
  
The second we got out of my car, I could hear the whispers and feel the steady stares. I tried to ignore them as I strode across the brick pathway on my way to the front door. I pushed the white button next to it. A muffled melody of bell chimes streamed through the air. Then the door swung open and I was met by Shiro's cheery face.  
  
"Hey, guys, you're right on time. Come on in."  
  
We stepped inside and followed Shiro through the foyer and into a large room. I could barely make out words from the chatting above the loud music, but when we came into the room I didn't seem to have that problem anymore. In fact, everything went dead silent as all the people in the room curiously turned to face us. They continued to silently gaze until a young girl came in carrying a bowl of potato chips.  
  
"I've got the sour cream and chives chips. Feel free to-oh my god! Chiba Mamoru!" She screamed and dropped the plastic bowl. The chips scattered, forgotten on the floor. "Kou Seiya!" She dashed towards the two. "Can I have your autographs?"  
  
Mamoru rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Sure, I guess."  
  
The phrase appeared to hold a mass of power for it triggered a mad rush of almost every girl in the room. They bombarded Seiya and Mamoru with questions and items to sign.  
  
I watched them all shove past me before deciding to go sit down with Kioko and Yuki. It would be a long time until I'd be able to talk to either Mamoru or Seiya again.  
  
- - -  
  
"Wow! Like oh my god! You are like so my hero!"  
  
I winced as Shiro's cousin squealed at the top of her lungs. What was that now? Number twenty-three?  
  
"You're welcome," Mamoru said. Though no one else had noticed, I saw that his face appeared tired and his posture was abnormally slouched for a man of his perfection.  
  
I glanced over at Seiya. He, too, had lost his natural "oomph."  
  
"Come on, girls," I said. "I think the guys need a little saving."  
  
With Yuki and Kuri by my side, I weaved my way through the crows. Somehow I managed to end up next to Mamoru. He smiled when he saw me.  
  
"Tired?" I asked.  
  
"Very."  
  
"You wanna leave? You can take a break."  
  
Mamoru shook his head. "No, I don't want to ruin your night."  
  
"Don't worry about it. We weren't doing anything anyway." I thought about our conversations. "Well, nothing we can't do at my place. So how about it?"  
  
"Sure. Where's Seiya?"  
  
"On the other side of the room. We should pick him up first."  
  
We returned into the overly joyous mob of people. It was more difficult than before. We kept getting separated since there were now four of us and Mamoru was the one being hunted and chased.  
  
After reunited for the third time, Kioko shouted out the words "backpack train."  
  
Yuki gave her an odd look. "Kioko-chan, we're not in school. We don't even have backpacks."  
  
"We can improvise," Kioko said with a shrug.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Shoulder train!"  
  
I could have sworn I felt a sweatdrop slide down my temple. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense and pretty soon I found myself with my hands on Yuki's shoulder while Mamoru's lay on mine. We decided that Mamoru should be at the back since he was the tallest. That way neither of us would've had to reach that far up.  
  
In any other circumstance I would have been deathly embarrassed of the way we looked. To an outsider, we may have appeared like we were getting ready to do the bunny hop, but similar to the crowded school halls, it was the only way to make it through while keeping the group intact.  
  
A few paces prior to meeting up with Seiya, we bumped into Shiro. I explained everything to him. He understood with his whole and bid us a chummy farewell.  
  
We hastily grabbed Seiya, then headed towards my car. The drive to my house wasn't long, a mere ten minutes.  
  
"I'm surprised, Kioko-chan," I said as I glanced at her through the rear view mirror.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"You never joined the mob to get an autograph."  
  
"She's right," Yuki piped in from her place beside the other girl. I thanked her for the support.  
  
"Well of course I didn't join them," Kioko said matter-of-factly. "Why would I? I already have their autographs."  
  
I heard Yuki groan in response at the same time that I pulled into my family's driveway. Casually I stepped out of the car. The other followed my lead.  
  
"So what time are your parents coming home?" Mamoru asked as he cam over to my side of the car.  
  
I leaned back against the door. "About nine or ten. Why?"  
  
"I was just wondering," he replied shifting his cap.  
  
We all fell silent for a while, simply gazing at our surroundings. Then Seiya broke the silence by announcing his departure.  
  
"Already?" I asked. "But you just got here."  
  
"I know, but I still have to call my brothers and our manager."  
  
I pouted. "It's still early. You can call them later or use our phone. You can even use the cell."  
  
"Usagi-chan."  
  
The phrase 'carpe diem' ran through my mind and I spontaneously snatched Seiya's cap from atop his head.  
  
"Hey, Usagi-chan," he said, "I can't leave without that."  
  
I grinned cheekily. "I know."  
  
He pulled back for a second, realization dawning on him. "Why you little-"  
  
I dodged his futile attempts and we gradually started to migrate away from the car.  
  
"Oh, too slow," I taunted when he missed me again.  
  
Seiya seemed to be frustrated, but I could tell by the gleam in his eye that he was enjoying every second of it.  
  
"Mamoru-san," he called out, "help me get my cap back."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because us guys have to stick together."  
  
Mamoru began to contemplate the idea. I stifled a giggle, because while he had been thinking, Kioko had grabbed his hat as well.  
  
"You go girl!"  
  
Mamoru gave Seiya a stern look. "We have to get them back."  
  
The younger man nodded in agreement. Then the two charged after their respective hats.  
  
"Yuki-chan, catch!" I shouted, tossing Seiya's cap.  
  
She took a few steps forward, easily completing the pass. Seiya ran after her.  
  
I whirled around when Kioko called out my own name and instinctively caught the white projectile heading my way. Mamoru came soon after. He immediately reached out for his cap, but I pulled it behind my back. As I clutched it in my hand, I noticed a small piece of metal, a buckle. I had thought the two caps identical but apparently they weren't; Mamoru's cap was resizable while Seiya's was a simple one size fits all.  
  
"So, are you going to be nice and give me my hat back?" Mamoru asked, stalking closer.  
  
I backed up. "Think again, buster."  
  
He attempted to grab the cap once again. However, I had anticipated the move and quickly evaded it.  
  
Grinning, I called out for Kioko to make another catch. Figuring it was time to try something new, I faked a throw over Mamoru's shoulder and followed it up with one that went under his arm. He full for it causing me to let out a bright laugh.  
  
Kioko and I pitched the cap back and forth for a while, playing a game of piggy in the middle. Then, Mamoru somehow trapped me against a row of shrubs. He continuously reached out for the cap; so much that it began to overwhelm me.  
  
I hastily made another underarm toss. I guess I released it a little late or a little early, I don't really know which, but either way it never made it to Kioko.  
  
Instead it went up into the air and back over Mamoru's shoulder. I snatched it quickly from the air, but Mamoru didn't see me hide it behind my back. He hadn't even seen me catch it.  
  
He made the cutest sight as he spun around in circles, searching for the desired object. His confused expression did the trick and I broke down in laughter.  
  
My stomach started to ache. Gasping for breath, I held up the cap. Mamoru's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
I smiled before throwing the cap back to Kioko. Then I headed off to help out Yuki who had just called for me.  
  
- - -  
  
"Mamoru-san, help me!" Seiya shouted as Yuki ran off with his hat.  
  
The ebony-haired man groaned. "I've already gotten our caps back seven times and each time you've lost them. You're on your own, man. Wait a second. Who has mine?" He glanced at Kioko and me.  
  
I casually shrugged while pretending to hide something.  
  
"Usa-chan."  
  
"Hai, Mamo-chan?" I asked sweetly.  
  
"Do you have it?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
He ran around me to check anyway but found nothing.  
  
"The other blonde has it," Seiya announced, capturing Mamoru's attention.  
  
Both of the guys dashed after Yuki with Kioko and I on their heels.  
  
"Help!" Yuki yelled, running around.  
  
"Throw it back!" I shouted.  
  
"I can't! I can't aim!"  
  
"Just throw it hard. I'll run back and get it."  
  
She complied, blindly tossing back the cap like a bride tossing her bouquet on her wedding day. It sailed over my head and landed before I was able to reach it. I raced over to it as fast as possible, barely picking it up ahead of Mamoru.  
  
"Hand it over, Usa-chan," Mamoru ordered with mock sternness.  
  
"Hand what over?" I innocently questioned, stuffing the cap into the front pocket of my light blue sweatshirt.  
  
"You know what."  
  
I took another step back and bumped into yet another bush. I never noticed how many of them were planted around until tonight. Mamoru continued to advance.  
  
I tried to run past him however he caught me up in a hug. His hand reached into my pocked, attempting to regain the cap. I struggled to defend the object despite the warmth I felt from his arms being wrapped around me.  
  
I mentally slapped myself on the head. What the hell was I thinking? I had Seiya, damn it.  
  
Without realizing what was going on, I pulled the cap out of my pocket. Mamoru grabbed it instantly, placed it on his head, and them pulled his sweatshirt's hood over it for protection.  
  
It was obvious to see that I had lost this battle so I took off in hopes of helping Yuki with Seiya's cap. Having lost Mamoru's, it was our last stronghold.  
  
Yuki threw his cap to me the second I appeared. I almost missed it when I snapped out of my daze.  
  
The first thing I noticed was the sly grin on Seiya's face, and then the next thing I knew was that he was tackling me. It wasn't an all out tackle, but it was reinforced by enough force to knock me off my feet. Seiya fell on top of me.  
  
His head was right above mine, a few menial centimeters away. His eyes glazed over slightly. The longer I stared at the, the bigger they got until I finally realized he was moving closer; he was going to kiss me.  
  
Instinctively I panicked though I tried not to show it on the outside. Just as he was about to make contact, I spoke his name somewhat nervously.  
  
He was jolted from his trance. "Hai?"  
  
"You're heavy."  
  
"Oh," he exclaimed, rolling off me. He laughed sheepishly and offered me a hand.  
  
I took it and as I sat up, I saw the girls' wide grins. Then I saw Mamoru standing beside them, stationary. His face was completely black and emotionless. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but who am I to say.  
  
I can't even tell what I'm feeling. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter 10  
  
"They're so pretty," I whispered, staring up at the sparkling dots hanging in the dark night sky.  
  
"Yeah," Seiya agreed from where he lay beside me. "They're so lucky."  
  
I furrowed my eyebrows. "How so?"  
  
"They all look so peaceful and undisturbed, especially the moon. Everything just looks so serene. You know, people used to believe that the planets were made of crystal. They were supposed to be perfect and immortal, unlike earth."  
  
I sat up and gathered a handful of sand in my fist. As I relaxed my fingers, the coarse grains slipped through. "Life is kind of hectic, isn't it?"  
  
"Hectic but fun." Seiya grinned, throwing a pile of sand at me.  
  
I dodged as much of it as I could. "And you wouldn't have it any other way?"  
  
He shook his head. "Never."  
  
"Are you sure?" I asked, standing.  
  
"Of course I'm sure. If it was different, I wouldn't be here with you." He made a dive for me, but I stepped to the side, allowing him to soar into the sandy beach.  
  
"Hmm, I still don't believe you," I told him thoughtfully.  
  
"Oh really now?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Then I'll have to do a little convincing," Seiya said.  
  
Smirking, he threw me over his shoulder and headed for the raging waters.  
  
- - -  
  
"That's enough takes for that scene," Yamada announced. "Let's cut to scene twenty-eight. You're one, Usagi-san."  
  
"Hai, Yamada-san," I replied, stepping onto the designated filming area of the traditional garden.  
  
"I want you in that building," he said, pointing. "Mamoru-san, I want you to start right outside the door. This is the last scene we've got to do so let's make it sweet. Okay, everyone, places. I want one camera outside and the rest inside. Let's go!" He waited for a few seconds. Then he announced the first take.  
  
Kyoshi ran down the dirt path. He attempted to come to a halt in front of the door, but it was too late for his speed and he barreled into it with a thud. He opened the door after hurriedly recollecting himself. He was greeted by a petite, young woman who sat on the edge of a large mat, her legs tucked in. She stared up at him curiously.  
  
Kyoshi cleared his throat nervously. "They're beginning to gather together for the final journey."  
  
Miki nodded. "I'll be out in a second," she replied as she stood. Her kimono elegantly swirled around her.  
  
"This was the last stop on the way."  
  
"I'm aware of that," Miki said, slipping a katana inside her fin robes.  
  
Kyoshi stepped fully into the room. "We should find the crystal today."  
  
"Kyoshi, I know all of this already. What's your point?"  
  
"It's the most dangerous part."  
  
"You're still not getting to the point," Miki stated.  
  
The young man sighed and strode over to her. "I don't want you to go."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Promise me you'll stay here where it's safer."  
  
Miki's eyes widened. "How can you even ask me to so that? I'm not someone who's just here for the ride. This party needs me. I'm their only key to the ginzushou." Her voice rose with each word she spoke.  
  
"I know, I just don't want you to get hurt," Kyoshi said. Then he quickly added, "If you get injured, the people's hope will be lost."  
  
"And what kind of hope will I be id I don't do what I can to help them?!"  
  
"I don't know!" Kyoshi exclaimed, frustrated pacing. "I don't know, I just." He fell silent.  
  
"I can take care of myself," Miki told him softly.  
  
"I never doubted that. I-I just." Kyoshi shut his eyes and exhaled a deep breath. When he reopened them, he took a long look at Miki. His hands came up to cup her face. Then his eyes shut once again as he leaned down. His lips crashed against hers.  
  
Miki's eyes fluttered closed and the kiss went on and on and on.  
  
- - -  
  
This was not supposed to be happening. It was supposed to be short and sweet. It said so in the script!  
  
The fact barely registered in my mind, an extremely hazy mind at that. His tongue ran across my lips and I parted them slightly out of both surprise and curiosity.  
  
He tasted like chocolate. Wait, no he didn't. He tasted better than chocolate. A whole lot better.  
  
My mind turned into an endless void of nothing until Mamoru gently pulled back. My eyes gradually opened, but it didn't help any. All I could see was streaks of colours. I blinked repeatedly.  
  
Mamoru glanced down at me with a strange expression that I had never seen any other time.  
  
"I have to go," he said quickly before rushing out of the room.  
  
I stared after him blankly, coincidentally completely in character. What was he thinking? What was I thinking? Was I even think at all? Wait-of course I was. Wasn't that what I was doing now? Thinking. about thinking. Wow, I needed some help.  
  
That was my first kiss. I had no idea what I was supposed to do now. I just knew one thing; we'd have a lot of explaining to do once the shoot was over, but how was I supposed to answer their questions when I didn't even know the answers to my own.  
  
- - -  
  
"I'll pick you up later," Mamoru said as he parked in the circular driveway of the Kou mansion.  
  
"That's okay. You don't have to. I'll just call a cab or something."  
  
My friend smiled. "I'll be here anyway."  
  
"Arigatou, Mamo-chan."  
  
"No problem. Just call when you want me to come."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Good. Now get out of the car and have some fun."  
  
"Jamata," I said stepping out of the sleek black car.  
  
"Ja!"  
  
I walked up the grand steps where I was warmly greeted by their elderly butler. He invited me in. Had this been my first visit, I would have been awestruck by the gigantic rooms, but my visits were so frequent and though I was still amazed, I wasn't fazed as much as I had previously been.  
  
"Seiya-san should be in his room," the formally dressed man informed me. "If not, he'll be there shortly. I recommend that you wait for him there."  
  
I thanked him and was about to head up the high, curving staircase when the butler called me back.  
  
"He told me to give you these," he said handing me a perfect bouquet of a dozen red roses which had been resting on a tabletop.  
  
I gracefully took the gift. Seiya had been acting awfully strange lately; the late night phone calls, the extra gifts, the extravagant dates and extra meetings. At first, I had passed it off as a mere phase, but it had already been going on for a month. It bothered me to no ends like a strand of hair that never seems to be in the right place.  
  
I lightly knocked on Seiya's door three times and waited. When a minute had passed without a response, I let myself in.  
  
"Seiya?" I asked, combing the room with my eyes.  
  
No reply or response came. I was the only one there.  
  
After dropping my bag next to the door, I took a seat on the edge of the bed and analyzed the room. It was extremely neat for a bachelor of eighteen. Everything was neatly put in its place or set out in a fashion that still attained an air of organization.  
  
Ten minutes passed and I still awaited his arrival. Lazily, I walked over to the dresser to fix my hair. A few stray strands had escaped the confines of the twin buns. I was about to head back into the hall when I noticed a single sheet of paper. It was covered in numerous works and scribbles. AS I looked closer, I recognized it as a set of lyrics for a new song. The words "Todokanu Omoi" graced the top of the page in a slightly larger font than the rest of the text. Curiously, I read the lyrics.  
  
- - -  
  
"Yume no naka de nan domo  
  
So tsu to kuchizuke kawashita  
  
Suki to oru tsuburana hitomi ni  
  
Suikomare teiku  
  
(Many times in my dreams  
  
we are secretly kissing each other,  
  
I was absorbed by your clear round eyes.)  
  
Kimi no naka de madoru mu  
  
Nuku mari ni tsutsumarete sou  
  
Aa itsuma demo sa menaideto  
  
Tsuraku sa kebuno sa  
  
(I fell asleep in your arms  
  
I was surrounded by your gentleness  
  
Ah... don't ever let me wake up,  
  
I screamed painfully.)  
  
Mune no nakuno takanarikara  
  
Jibun de mo honkitoshiru  
  
Setsuna sugite modokashikute  
  
Akiramekirenai  
  
(Deep in my mind I was highly aroused  
  
even I myself know this time is for real  
  
I was scared because I am too sad  
  
and I can't give up on you.)  
  
Motsu to deai ga hayakerebato  
  
ii wake bakari mitsuketeru  
  
Tsuki no hikari ga todokanu kanata e  
  
Aa kimo wo tsuresaritai  
  
(If we'd have met earlier,  
  
I would find all the reasons  
  
The moonlight is shining towards the endless shore  
  
Ah... I want to take you with me)  
  
Asa yakehiterasareta  
  
Kimo no egao mabushisugite  
  
Kono mama fukari shiteiku  
  
Jibun ga koi yo  
  
(Bathe in the morning sunshine,  
  
your beautiful smile is so bright  
  
More and more,  
  
I realize it's a terrible thing.)  
  
Fui ni naru PHS ga  
  
Futari no kiyori ni raku yo  
  
Tomodachi da to ii ni todato  
  
Warikirenakute  
  
(The cell phone rings and  
  
shortens the distance between us  
  
Are we good friends or just good people?  
  
I can't figure that out.)  
  
Kinou an nani yasashiku temo  
  
Ima doro aitsunou denonaka  
  
Tsuki no hikari ga todokanu kanate e  
  
Aa kimi o tsure saritai  
  
kurikaeshi  
  
(Yesterday you were so gentle,  
  
And today you are in the other guy's arms.  
  
Moonlight is shooting at the endless shore,  
  
Ah... I want to take you with me)"  
  
- - -  
  
I scrunched my forehead in confusion. What the heck was this all about? It was a beautiful song no doubt, but Seiya had always told me that he wrote what he was felling. Just as I set the paper down, the door opened and a distraught Seiya stepped in the room.  
  
He sighed. "I see you found the new song I've been working on." His eyes were underlined by dark bags revealing his lack of sleep. "What do you think?"  
  
My eyes widened at the casual tone of his voice. "What do you thin? You've been acting so strange and distant lately and now you come up with this? The lyrics, Seiya-kun. I don't understand."  
  
He mutely opened a drawer and pulled out a magazine. I caught it when he tossed it to me.  
  
"The Stargazer?" I asked incredulously, holding the tabloid in my hand.  
  
Seiya plopped himself onto his bed. "It's an issue from last month. I found the lead story somewhat interesting."  
  
I gave him a puzzled look.  
  
"Read it," he told me.  
  
I glanced at the cover. My hand instantly stilled and my breathing ceased. Taking up three-fourths of the front page was a photo of Mamoru and I. from the day of the final shoot. The heading read, "Young Actors Slumber in a Fairy Tale Dream."  
  
I flipped open to the designated article page and continued reading.  
  
"All over Japan, young girls' hearts are breaking. It appears as though teen heartthrob, Chiba Mamoru is a taken man. Or at least his heart is. Apparently he has attained a liking, if one may call it that, to his seventeen year old co-star, Tsukino Usagi. The two became friends during a vacation mishap set up by their mothers. While wrapping up the movie shoots for their upcoming movie 'Yumemiru,' the two were reported by eyewitnesses to be going at it and going at it strong."  
  
I quickly shut the magazine causing the paper to make a loud slapping sound which cut through the air cleaner than newly sharpened knife through soft cheese. I didn't want to read anymore.  
  
"Seya-kun."  
  
He held up his hand, stopping me from speaking any further. "It's okay," he said. "I know it was for the movie."  
  
I gave a relieved smile, but it immediately dissipated. "Then why?"  
  
"What they said still made sense. It made me realize a lot of things."  
  
"How can you believe that? You know what they're like." I paused, waiting for a reply. I received none so I continued. "Nothing is going on between Mamoru and I."  
  
"Somehow I doubt that."  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked walking up to him.  
  
"They say you are. I think you are. They have pictures and I have my observations."  
  
"I think I should know my life better than they."  
  
Seiya shook his head. "Not when you're involved in something like this. Sometimes things appear clearer when you're on the outside and looking in instead of being on the inside and analyzing yourself."  
  
"What are you saying Seiya? You're rambling again."  
  
Standing, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You may not realize it now, but there's something better for you, and I don't want to be the one in the way."  
  
"You're not making any sense, Seiya-kun."  
  
"I think we should break up."  
  
"What?" I whispered in disbelief. "You told me to never them, the tabloids, get to me, but here you are now doing that exact thing."  
  
"This is different," he countered, grabbing a jacket off a hook.  
  
"No, it isn't" I persisted as I followed him to the door. "Why, Seiya-kun? Why?"  
  
He shook his head sadly and kissed me on the forehead. "Someday you'll understand and then you'll thank me. Until then, take care of yourself. I love you."  
  
"I-"  
  
Seiya placed his finger on my lips, effectively silencing me. "You don't have to say it." He chuckled. "You never could. I understand why now and hopefully someday you will too. I'll see you around."  
  
That was the last thing he said before exiting the room, leaving me alone and a dozen red roses forgotten.  
  
- - -  
  
I threw the foam ball at the wall as hard as I could. Once I had retrieved it, I made an even harder pitch. It rebounded and flew right past my head, colliding with the opposite wall. I smiled in satisfaction.  
  
"Geez, Usa-chan, you'd think you were trying to break the wall."  
  
I spun around and saw Mamoru enter my room-or rather his room that I occupied, but whatever. The ebony-haired man picked the soccer ball up from the ground.  
  
Eyeing it he added, "You might want to use something else. I don't think this little thing's gonna do any damage."  
  
I analyzed the ball meticulously before continuing to pack my suitcase full with items from the night table.  
  
Wow, a pink plush bunny. Fun, yet another present from Seiya. Oh joy, even more fun. Wohoo. A necklace decorated with stars. Wouldn't ya know it; it's also from Seiya.  
  
I chucked the items into the black bag with distaste as I pondered bitter thoughts. Mamoru noticed.  
  
"Hey, be nice," he jokingly chided. "I'm sure Seiya wouldn't appreciate it."  
  
"Yeah? Well too bad for him. I don't care what he thinks."  
  
Mamoru's forehead creased. "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing I want to discuss right now."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "Cool with me," he tossed the ball into the air, "but I'm here if you ever need to talk."  
  
I nodded and returned to the task at hand. Meanwhile, Mamoru leaned against the wall, mindlessly tossing the ball.  
  
A few hours had passed when he stood and moved to exit the room. "You better get some sleep," he told me. "Tomorrow's your last day here, but you still have an interview to do in the morning."  
  
- - -  
  
"Ohayou, and welcome back! We are now joined by Tsukino Usagi, the star of the upcoming film 'Yumemiru.' Welcome, Tsukino-san."  
  
I bowed my head slightly and smiled at the talk show host. "Arigatou, Akane- san. It's a pleasure to be here."  
  
"I understand this is your last day here in Tokyo."  
  
"Hai," I replied cheerfully.  
  
"I hope you enjoyed your stay here."  
  
"Hai, I did. It's a very beautiful city; much bigger than my hometown. But I'm glad to be going back to my family and friends." I turned and waved into the camera. "Konnichi, Shingo, Otousan, Okaasan, Yuki, Kioko, Kuri, Motoki, Shiro, and everyone else back home!"  
  
Akane let out a light laugh. "Hai, Konnichi," she added. "So, here's the question we've all been waiting for. What's it like working with Chiba Mamoru?"  
  
I grinned. "It's been so much fun. He's the best friend anyone could possibly wish for."  
  
"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Ayame nodded as she skimmed through some papers on her desk. "Anything else?"  
  
"Pardon?" I asked, unsure of what she meant.  
  
"It says here that there has been something else occurring between the two of you."  
  
My lips parted in surprise. "Gomen, I'm not quite sure of what you mean. We're just friends."  
  
Ayame gave me a strange look, then she turned to the cameras. "It looks like we're due for another commercial break. We'll be right back after these short messages from our sponsors."  
  
Once the 'On Air' sign turned off, she leaned closer to me. "Come on," she beckoned. "Give me a little juice. We both know something happened."  
  
"I'm sorry, nothing happened."  
  
"Bullshit," Akane snapped causing me to jump in my chair. "I know about the kiss. I know all about the tabloid stories. I've done my research."  
  
"Then you must not have very good sources," I said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
I stared at her blankly.  
  
"So, Tsukino-san," she hissed. "What was it like? What else did you have to do to get the role? We all know that you couldn't have done it on your own. Maybe you-oh wait," she sarcastically added, "I forgot. You're with Seiya, aren't you?"  
  
I resisted the temptation to throw her an uppercut. How the heck could such a sweet women turn into such a monstrous thing in a split second? Maybe she was two-faced; seems like a perfect explanation.  
  
"My, my, my. You sure do know how to catch your fish, Usagi-san, but we both know that you're nothing but a piece of trash. I've worked my ass off in this business and then you just pop up and get that major role. I wanted that role so bad. You're nothing but a little whore!"  
  
Taken back by her words, I unknowingly scooted my chair away from her. Then I noticed her begin to raise her hand. I winced, bracing myself for the impact, but it didn't come.  
  
"I think this interview's over," Mamoru stated, gripping Ayame's wrist in his hand. Letting it drop, he said, "Let's go, Usa-chan."  
  
I eagerly got out of my chair and followed him out of the studio.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," he told me as we entered the car.  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
"I head what she said."  
  
"All of it?" I asked nervously.  
  
"Just the last part. It was hard to miss when she started yelling. I have a feeling she's going to be getting a long lecture from her boss tonight."  
  
"Yeah, but like I said before, it's not your fault."  
  
I placed my elbow on the small ledge beneath the car window and rested my head on my hand. I stared straight ahead, but I could feel Mamoru's eyes on me.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked.  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Mamoru replied.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Sure you are. You've been pretty down in the blues lately. I know I said that I wouldn't prod, but you worry me, Usa-chan."  
  
I remained silent for a second pondering over what to do. Then I settled on telling him what had happened. "We're through," I said calmly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Seiya broke up with me."  
  
"What?!"  
  
I sighed. "Please don't make me repeat that again."  
  
"Why did he."  
  
"I don't know," I lied.  
  
"Wow," he murmured. "I'm really sorry, Usa-chan."  
  
I shrugged. "Once again, it's not your fault. Anyway, I just want to go home."  
  
Mamoru made a left turn. "I think I can handle that." 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
A few months have passed since I left Tokyo. I haven't spoken to Mamoru since that fateful day. I suppose I only told him a half-truth when I said it wasn't his fault that Seiya and I split up. He was after all a part of the problem, but it's not like he knew he was. It's that thought that has kept me from calling him or even sending him an email. In all honesty, I'm scared that we'll end up in an uncomfortable situation speaking of things we had hoped to forget which would cause us to regret ever communicating again in the first place. However, none of this changes the fact that I miss him. The whole time we were filming, he made the best of friends, and now we don't even contact each other. I know he's doing well though. That piece of knowledge leaves me satisfied. I overheard my mother speaking to his about him on the phone a while ago. Call it eavesdropping, but I like to call it checking up on a good friend.  
  
I just got back from Shingo's baseball game. They lost, but no one really seems to care. Even the players are having a ball. They were extremely successful for a first-year team, placing as runner-ups in the All-Kansai Tournament. As a result of that title, they went on to the All-Japan Tournament where they made it to the third round, proving all of the critics wrong. Everyone's just so proud of how far the team advanced, with me being no exception.  
  
Well, Tomorrow's the 'Yumemiru' movie premiere party so I guess it's finally time to meet Mamoru again. Part of me wants to go and part of me doesn't. My stomach has an odd pain; I keep feeling as if I'm going to throw up. The only thing the time away from him has done is confuse me even more. Let's just hope things go along all right. Wish me luck!  
  
Love,  
  
Usagi  
  
- - -  
  
"Toki-kun, I'm ready," I announced, exiting the hotel bathroom.  
  
Motoki switched off the television and tossed the remote onto one of the queen-sized beds. "Cool. Milady?" He offered his arm to me.  
  
I gave him an amused smile, then hooked my arm through his. "Why thank you, sir," I replied in a formal tone.  
  
"To the ball?"  
  
I nodded. "To the ball."  
  
"I must say that is a charming dress you're wearing," he commented, acknowledging the full length, pale blue dress.  
  
"Why thank you, sir. You look extremely handsome yourself."  
  
Motoki grinned and rubbed his knuckles on his collar. "I know, I know."  
  
Shaking my head, I laughed. "You're crazy."  
  
"Me?" Motoki asked, feigning shock.  
  
"Of course you. I don't see anyone else here.  
  
"Humph. Your commentary is not appreciated." He pouted.  
  
I laughed harder and hugged him sympathetically. He grinned.  
  
"Thanks for coming with me, Toki-kun."  
  
Motoki shrugged. "No problem. It's not like I get asked to escort a celeb down the red carpet everyday."  
  
"I'm not a celebrity."  
  
"Yet," he added knowingly. He patted my head, careful not to disturb the messily-styled bun. "Just wait and see. So have you called Mamoru yet?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Are you going to?"  
  
"Dunno."  
  
"You really should, you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why don't you?"  
  
"It's complicated."  
  
"Everything's complicated Usagi-chan. It just depends on how you look at things. Take that rose for example. It's simple enough, isn't it? A beautiful flower, but if you look at it closer, the stem's covered with thorns for defense. It uses photosynthesis, nitrogen, and all that other good stuff. It's simple yet complex. It's all a matter of perspective."  
  
I though about what he said. It was like the vase picture in puzzle books where you could also see the two head profiles. All you needed was a different perspective.  
  
Was that what I needed? A new way to view things? Maybe I had been caught in one place for too long like a butterfly trapped within a spider's web.  
  
- - -  
  
The car door opened unveiling a sea of flashing bulbs and loud shouting. Motoki got out first so that he could offer me an arm to lean on. I took it graciously.  
  
We traveled down the carpet together, him in his snazzy tux and me in my formal gown. About twenty paces after leaving the limo, I was approached by a young reporter.  
  
"Tsukino-san! Tsukino-san!" The young woman cried out as she ran over. A lone cameraman hustled along behind her. "Tsukino-san, how does it feel to be back in Tokyo?" She held out her microphone.  
  
I smiled, "Wonderful. It's bringing back some old-if you can really call them that-memories."  
  
"Ah," she eyed Motoki, "is this your new boyfriend. We've all heard about your tragic parting with music sensation, Kou Seiya."  
  
"Iie, iie, this is Fuharata Motoki. He's an old friend of min."  
  
Motoki nodded, grinned, and waved into the camera.  
  
"I see, my mistake. Gomen nasai."  
  
"It's all good."  
  
"Well, welcome, Fuharata-san, and I hope to see you around again, Tsukino- san."  
  
"You bet."  
  
"For channel RAI, this is Kawasaki Kameko reporting from the 'Yumemiru' movie premiere party. Back to you, Tamae-san." When the cameras were off, Kameko took the time to formally thank me.  
  
"Anytime," I told her.  
  
We continued down the carpet with no interruption, save for a few more blinding flashes of light.  
  
The next few hours were spent mindlessly mingling with the stars. I almost ran into Mamoru once; I ducked behind a palm tree just in time, before he could see me. I received some odd stares for the action and ended up pretending to be looking for my earring that had "dropped." But never mind that.  
  
During the whole ordeal, I never failed to notice that Midori was on his arm. I suppose they're going out now. I always thought they had something going on. The costume fitting day was a no-brainer, way to obvious.  
  
"...isn't it, Tsukino-san?"  
  
I politely smiled and nodded at the pleasantly plump, elderly woman speaking to me. Of course, I had no idea as to what she was discussing.  
  
Her eyes lit up as a waiter passed by with a platter full of dessert. "Oh my, are those eclairs? I love eclairs. Excuse me."  
  
She hurried off after the dish, leaving me to wander around the large expanse of a room which was cluttered with people. The high chandeliers created dancing shadows on the smooth marble walls.  
  
I was gazing at one of the flower arrangements when a pair of hands covered me eyes.  
  
"Guess who."  
  
I grinned. "Konnichi, Toki-kun. I was wondering where you went."  
  
"Wrong," the voice replied.  
  
Astonished, I slowly turned. "Then who the-Seiya?"  
  
The ends of the young man's lips turned up. "Glad you haven't forgotten me. Konnichi."  
  
"Hai," I said, dumfounded.  
  
"Have you seen Mamoru?"  
  
I shook my head causing Seiya to frown. "He's look for you."  
  
"That's nice," I replied calmly despite the way my blood began to pump through my veins with a racing beat.  
  
"Can we talk?" Seiya asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
  
"Isn't that what we're doing now?"  
  
"I mean in private."  
  
"Sure," I shrugged, "why not."  
  
I followed him to the back end of the room where few people had dispersed. Leaning against the wall slightly, I waited for him to speak. He fiddled with his watched clasp for some time leading me to believe he was either nervous or extremely worried about something.  
  
"Do you remember the day that you found that song in my room?"  
  
"You mean the day you broke up with me," I bluntly filled in.  
  
"Yeah," Seiya agreed, nervously running a hand through his dark hair, "but do you remember what reason I gave?"  
  
I nodded grimly. "Tabloids."  
  
"And?"  
  
"The movie shoot."  
  
"And?"  
  
I racked my brain for something else. "Nothing?"  
  
He sighed. "Well how about this. Do you recall what the song was about?"  
  
"Yeah, something about being too late and the girl already being in somebody else's arms."  
  
"You said it."  
  
"I don't get it."  
  
"It was about you, Usagi-chan."  
  
"But then who was the guy? I wasn't with anyone else."  
  
Seiya chuckled. "you know, for a bright girl, you can sometimes be awfully obtuse."  
  
"That wasn't very nice," I said, frowning.  
  
"Well, I suppose you aren't too bad," Seiya mused. "It's not like the other one was any faster." He grabbed a drink from the platter held by a nearby waiter.  
  
"What other one?" He ignored me and took another sip. "What one? Seiya-kun, this isn't fair."  
  
He smirked.  
  
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," Yamada announced after tapping the microphone three times. He stood atop the stage platform. "May I have your attention please. I swear it has nothing to do with another car getting towed. Although the towing company did just make a call to inform us that they have shut down. It seems as though they're made enough money tonight to send all of their employees into retirement." He winked, receiving an uproar of laughter.  
  
"Anyway, back to the purpose of this ramble. On behalf of the cast and crew, I would like to thank you all for coming today. It means a lot to us. But, I'm sure you're not all here to listen to me talk the night away so I'd like to introduce my work-mate and dear friend, Chiba Mamoru."  
  
A round of thunderous clapping ripped through the room. Mamoru grinned and held up his hand causing the applause to slowly fade out.  
  
"Arigatou, Yamada-san," he said. "I was planning on making a long speech today, but I figured why use the unneeded brain power when I could just lie on the couch and watch the almighty sports channel." He paused for some chuckling. "Bu seriously, I did get tied up in some really important matters. So please bear with me and holler if I get too off topic. Anyway, here it goes.  
  
"It has been a great honor to be able to work on a such a fine project with such talented people. The journey has been full of ups and downs to say the least, but we've managed to pull together and stick it through. The faith you all had in this production during its lowly days was unbelievable. I would especially like to thank a little lady who I've been searching for all night, and in all truth much longer than that. Now that I'm up here, I can finally see her. Ladies and gentlemen, Tsukino Usagi! Can we get a spotlight on her?"  
  
I flushed as everyone swirled around to see me. The added spotlight did absolutely nothing to help the situation.  
  
"Make sure not to go anywhere after this speech, Usa-chan. We really need to talk," Mamoru added.  
  
He went on about the actual movie, but I couldn't understand a single word he said. All I could think about was whether I should stay or run.  
  
I turned to exit through the main doors when Seiya caught my arm.  
  
"Not now," he said, drawing me back. "He's been waiting for too long."  
  
Defeated, I slumped against the wall and waited. Mamoru came once he had finished his ramblings, but I was surprised to see that the first thing he did on arrival was give Seiya one of those secret handshakes that guys do all the time. Apparently the two had become good friends during my absence.  
  
I smirked. Never would I have thought this would happen, especially considering the circumstances of our break up.  
  
"Well, I'll leave you two alone," Seiya said. "Ganbatte, Mamoru-kun."  
  
My eyes followed his movements as he strode off. When he had disappeared, Mamoru's hands came up to cup the sides of my head and he gently tilted it face him. The tenderness in the touch was unmistakable.  
  
"Hey, you," he whispered.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"You never called."  
  
"Neither did you," I pointed out.  
  
"I know," he admitted solemnly. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
I furrowed my eyebrows. "About what?"  
  
"Why Seiya broke up with you."  
  
"I guess... I just didn't want you to think it was your fault."  
  
"If I knew it was your first, I wouldn't have-"  
  
I silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. "It's okay," I assured him. "It didn't mean anything."  
  
"But it did."  
  
"It was just for the-" I quickly stopped what I was saying, his words finally hitting me. "What did you say?"  
  
"It meant something to me, Usa-chan, and I know it did to you too. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been such a big deal."  
  
I glanced down at the marble floor, completely speechless.  
  
"Usa, look at me."  
  
I continued to stare at the cold tiles so he tilted my chin up.  
  
"Why won't you admit it?"  
  
"We can't do this," I replied gritting my teeth.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"We'll just be giving the tabloids what they want. All we'll be doing is giving them more so-called proof."  
  
Mamoru sighed and wrapped me up in a hug. "Usa, I know you've been told not to let their rumors get to you, but you shouldn't do things just to prove them wrong either. In the end, you'll just be letting them win." His grip tightened. "I missed you so much, even your stubbornness."  
  
"I did too, but..."  
  
"No 'but's, Usagi-chan."  
  
I ignored him and continued. "What about Midori?"  
  
Mamoru knitted his eyebrows. "Who?"  
  
"Midori. You know, tall, beautiful, part of wardrobe; you liked her."  
  
"I liked her?" Mamoru repeated unsurely.  
  
"Yeah. Don't you remember?"  
  
He shook his head, then chuckled. "You have one weird imagination. Look, I'm going to give you five seconds to make up your mind and then I'm going to kiss you. Move away if you don't want it. Five..."  
  
What the heck was he doing?  
  
"Four..."  
  
Why didn't I just kiss Seiya before the shoot?  
  
"Three..."  
  
Did I actually already like Mamoru then?  
  
"Two..."  
  
Wait, did I just admit that I like him now?"  
  
"One..."  
  
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.  
  
"Time's up," Mamoru announced huskily. He then closed his eyes and slowly brought his face down. I remained where I was, eyes opened, until his soft lips made contact with mine. It was then that I, too, shut my eyes.  
  
A couple seconds had passed when Mamoru pulled back a centimeter. "You stayed," he said, grinning.  
  
I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled. "Shut up," I whispered before pulling him back down.  
  
His own arms came to wrap around my waist as the kiss went on. We were engulfed in complete bliss, in a world where everything else had disappeared. This must be what they call living life.  
  
However, a bright light brought us barreling back down to earth. I opened my eyes to see a horde of cameras and instinctively pulled away from Mamoru.  
  
"Don't," he said. "There's no reason to hide."  
  
I took a moment to reflect on the piece of advice. Then I smiled and stepped closer to him. His blue eyes twinkled.  
  
"Aishiteru, Usako..."  
  
"Hai, aishiteru, Mamo-chan."  
  
A smirk grew on his features. "Now let's give them a real story."  
  
I returned the smirk and nodded as he leaned back down. 


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
I nervously clutched the large, manila envelope. My grip was so tight, my fingers turned the palest white and the stiff paper began to crinkle under my touch.  
  
Shaking my head, I forced my hand to release. This wasn't right.  
  
I stared at the small metal box attached to the wall less than a foot away. In embossed letters, it was neatly labeled 'OUTGOING MAIL'. The dreaded thing was the cause of all my problems. Or was that the envelope?  
  
I groaned. Too much thinking, Usagi.  
  
Mustering my courage, I steadily moved the envelope towards its destination, but just as it was about to fall into the think opening, my hand stilled.  
  
Did I write the addresses correctly? Did I even write a return address?  
  
Panicked, I snatched my hand back and analyzed the front of the object within it. The addresses were perfectly printed in black pen. No mistakes were visible. I let out a gush of air.  
  
Then I felt two taps on my shoulder. Surprised, I spun around to find a relatively elderly woman smiling softly.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt you, dear," she said, "but I'm afraid a line's beginning to gather."  
  
Curiously I peered around her figure. Sure enough, she was right. I blushed a deep crimson as I mumbled an apology. With a last deep breath, I quickly dropped the envelope in the box because my overworked conscience had a chance to think otherwise.  
  
Then I immediately exited the post office through the old fashioned rotating, glad door. O was thankful that the event was over, but I still couldn't help wonder if I had made the rich decision.  
  
Oh well, I would know within time. For now, it was out of my hands.  
  
- - -  
  
I nervously clutched the large, manila envelope. My grip was so tight, my fingers turned the palest white and the stiff paper began to crinkle under my touch.  
  
"You know it's not going to eat you," a deep voice pointed out.  
  
No, but the contents just might kill me.  
  
It was now the moment of truth. Lame as it sounded, it truly was. A few months had passed since I secretly sent in my application to KO University during the filming of "Yumemiru." I know my father had wanted me to stay near Toya, but at the time I felt like it was a good choice. It was a good school after all. Only last month did I finally reveal what I had done. No one minded and oddly enough, no one seemed surprised. And now, here I was with the response clutched between my fists.  
  
I jolted slightly when two strong arms came from behind to wrap themselves around my waist.  
  
"Come on, Usako," Mamoru urged me. "You're only putting yourself through more agony by stalling."  
  
I remained unmoving. His words barely registered in my mind.  
  
"Fine, if you won't, I will."  
  
Releasing my waist, he brought his hand up and removed the envelope from my grasp. His fingers moved to the long flap which sealed the object. My eyes instinctively shut, refusing to see what was coveted inside. Fear of rejection ripped through me.  
  
I cringed as I heard the violent tears and a dreadful rustling of paper.  
  
"Let's see now," Mamoru said. "It can't be that bad."  
  
The noises ceased and I could feel Mamoru's deep concentration. He cleared his throat before beginning.  
  
"Miss Usagi Tsukino. Due to an excessively abundant quantity of applicants received from the incoming class, we regret to inform you that we cannot accept your application."  
  
My eyes flashed open. "What?"  
  
Mamoru chuckled.  
  
I glared at him. "What's funny?"  
  
"Chill, Usa-chan," he said smiling. "I was just kidding. The letter's still inside."  
  
I whirled back around to confirm his claim. Gosh darn it. He was telling the truth.  
  
"Why'd you do that?" I questioned with a pout.  
  
Mamoru shrugged. "Now you can be the one to see it first and put yourself out of misery. You've already experienced the worst that can happen. It can only get better from here."  
  
I nodded and smiled thankfully. "Let's do it."  
  
Mamoru's arms returned to my waist after he handed over the envelope. Taking a deep breath, I slipped my hand inside and recovered a typed letter. My eyes quickly roved over the words, and not a second later a loud scream of joy filled the spacious house.  
  
- - -  
  
"I'll miss you, baby!"  
  
"I know, I'll miss you too, Oki-san," I said, hugging my balling auntie. Her endless tears seeped into my maroon t-shirt.  
  
Minutes passed before she was able to pull herself together. She sniffled as she wiped her eyes carefully so as not to smear the remains of her makeup.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry about your shirt, sweetie. It's just-" She abruptly grabbed a handful of tissues from a nearby Kleenex box and blew her nose. "Oh, I'm ruining your good-bye party. You should be having fun with the other kids."  
  
I smiled nervously, racking my brain for a way out of my uncomfortable situation. I was ready to kiss the ground when I saw Mamoru sauntering by. Immediately, I grabbed his arm and pulled him to my side. His look of surprise went unacknowledged.  
  
"Oki-san, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Chiba Mamoru. Mamo-chan, this is my aunt, Tsukino Oki."  
  
The ebony-haired young man flashed a charming smile. He held out his hand to the older woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tsukino-sama."  
  
"Oh, don't be so formal, dear," Oki replied, engulfing Mamoru into a giant bear hug. "You'll be part of the family soon enough."  
  
She stepped back to get a better look at him. Tucking a lock of chestnut hair back, she grinned approvingly. "I see my niece has very good taste. I suppose you'll be missing her too when she's gone."  
  
"Actually," Mamoru began unsurely.  
  
"I'll be rooming with him in Tokyo," I finished. "It'll be just like when we were working on the movie, Oki-san."  
  
My aunt beamed knowingly. "Now I understand why you're moving."  
  
I blushed profusely.  
  
"You better take care of my only niece, Mamoru-san."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Well, you kids should run along now. Go and have some fun."  
  
I laughed and we bid our farewells. Then we wandered off to find the others.  
  
- - -  
  
Two hours had flown by and still there was no luck on sighting the girls, Shiro, or Motoki. We had searched the entire school grounds which had been rented for the party. Indoors, the event had transformed into a gossip gathering for the older generations.  
  
"You wanna just head back to my place and hang out there?" I asked Mamoru as we returned to the main building. "The party will probably get pretty boring."  
  
"Won't they miss you?"  
  
"Nah," I replied gazing through the bright windows filled with bubbly silhouettes, "I have a feeling they'll be just fine. I'll let my parents know first and then we can head off, okay?"  
  
Mamoru nodded. "Sounds like a plan."  
  
- - -  
  
"Truth or dare?"  
  
"Dare."  
  
"Hmm. I dare you to stick your head down the toilet."  
  
"Mamo-chan, that's gross!"  
  
"But you wanted a dare."  
  
I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. "Mamo-chan, that's just wrong. I'm not doing it."  
  
"You can't back out. That's against the rules."  
  
"I'd like to see you do the dare."  
  
Mamoru shrugged. "I've already done it before."  
  
My bottom jaw fell in shock. "You have?"  
  
"Of course," he said smugly. "You don't actually have to make contact with anything down there. It's pretty easy actually."  
  
"Yeah right," I replied unconvinced of the simplicity. "Prove it."  
  
"Later, I'm too comfortable where I am right now."  
  
I nodded in agreement. We were situated on one of the living room couches. I was leaning against the arm with Mamoru's head settled in my lap. Meanwhile, he was completely stretched out, but due to his tall height his feet were elevated by the opposite arm of the seating.  
  
"I guess it's your turn again since you didn't do your dare," Mamoru stated. "So-"  
  
He was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the telephone. I moved to pick it up, but Mamoru stopped me.  
  
"Don't get up. Let the answering machine get it."  
  
Understanding that he wouldn't budge, I opted for a quick surrender. We waited in silence for the machine to do its work.  
  
"Hi!" I heard my voice play on the recording. "You've reached the Tsukino residence. Sorry, but we're unable to make it to the phone right now. You can sit there and keep calling (not recommended) or you can leave a message after the beep. BEEP! Just kidding! Don't forget to leave your name and number. Now here comes the real beep. Get ready." A loud note sounded.  
  
"Hey, Usagi-chan, it's Seiya. I heard that."  
  
I turned to Mamoru. "I have to get this."  
  
"Go ahead," he replied.  
  
Stretching my arm out to the side table as far as I could, I managed to reach the phone without compromising our seating positions. I clicked the talk button.  
  
"Hey, Seiya."  
  
"Usagi-chan?"  
  
"The one and only! What's up?"  
  
"I just wanted to congratulate you on making it into KO. I guess I'll be seeing you around Tokyo more often."  
  
"Yeah," I felt a poke in my side. Glancing down, I saw Mamoru mouth a few words. "By the way, Mamoru says 'hi' too."  
  
I heard a chuckle from the other side of the line. "Tell him I said 'hi' and that he better take good care of you or I'll-"  
  
"Seiya!"  
  
"I'm just playing with you. Anyway, I've gotta go. Taiki and Yaten are calling me. We have another recording session in half an hour for the new CD."  
  
"Sounds fun. I'll talk to you later then."  
  
"Yeah. I'll call you. Ja!"  
  
"Ja matta, Seiya-kun!"  
  
I clicked the phone off and returned it to its stand. "See, that wasn't so bad."  
  
Mamoru grinned. "Yeah, but back to the game." His face was half hidden by night's cloak while the other half was illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the large windows. No man-made lights lit the area.  
  
I considered the choices of his newest proposal. Having recently refused an outrageous dare, I decided that it was best to go with 'truth.'  
  
"Hmm. Let me think about this one." His eyebrows knitted in deep thought. "Okay, here we go. What's your favourite movie?"  
  
"My favourite movie? Well that's a toughie." Staring down at my companion's face, I realized what answer he was expecting and smirked. "Well, I really liked the 'Sandlot.' It was a cute movie for kids and the family. 'Gettysburg' and 'The Castle' were pretty good action/drama flicks too. Hmm. I'm not quite sure. I just know I'm forgetting something."  
  
Mamoru darted into sitting position. "You can't really mean that."  
  
"Of course, I do," I answered, feigning ignorance.  
  
"What about 'Yumemiru'?"  
  
"'Yumemiru'? Well I guess that was okay, but the leading actor-what was his name. Anyways, I just don't see what the lead actress sees in him."  
  
The young man let out a deep, resonating, laugh. "You tease!"  
  
"Only for you," I grinned.  
  
Leaning over, Mamoru covered my mouth with his. All thought dissipated in the bliss. I turned so that my back was supported by the couch's arm. My arms hung loosely around his heck while his sat on my hip.  
  
Then suddenly the moment was shattered by a chorus of cheers and an abrupt flood of lights. Mamoru and I broke apart, but we didn't move away from each other.  
  
"We figured you two were here."  
  
I swung my head towards the doorway and glared at the newcomers. There stood Yuki, Kuri, Kioko, Motoki, and Shiro. Each complete with beaming faces.  
  
My glare morphed into an expression of shock. "How did you get in here?"  
  
"Kitchen window," Shiro replied casually.  
  
"Yeah," Motoki quipped. "You should really talk to your parent about that. The lock on the window really... well, it really sucks."  
  
Mamoru shifted his arm to rest on top of my shoulders. "You guys could have at least knocked first or something. We were busy."  
  
"Yeah, we noticed," Kioko said with a quirky smile.  
  
I shook my head. "Where were you guys? We looked all around the school grounds."  
  
"Uh, actually Shiro forgot to get you a good-bye present so we all ended up at the nearest gas station," Kuri explained.  
  
"It was the only place open this late," Yuri added.  
  
Shiro stepped forwards and present me with the most adorable classic teddy bear. I received the gift graciously thanking my friend.  
  
"They also got this for the both of you," he said cautiously, handing me a magazine. "I told them not to, but I guess they got bored in the magazine isle."  
  
I looked over the latter offering. It was yet another issue of the stargazer, but this time the cover was a full sized picture of Mamoru and me at the premiere party.  
  
Mamoru chucked and grabbed the tabloid. "Hey, the photo actually turned out really good. I think I'll add it to my collection."  
  
"Your collection?"  
  
"Of course, I have a box at home with all sorts of photo and newspaper clippings of my career."  
  
I swear I could have felt a sweatdrop glide down my check right at that very moment.  
  
"You're insane, Mamo-chan."  
  
I always knew the guy was egotistical. From the first day I took a good look at him on that television screen. How long ago was that exactly?  
  
"Hey, Usa-chan," he called as he flipped through the pages. "Check this out. That sorry excuse for a talk show host, Akane, got fired."  
  
I smiled inwardly. Then I frowned. It wasn't right to be happy from other people's misfortunes. but this was Akane!  
  
"Mamoru-kun," Kioko said, "don't forget to take a look at page eight."  
  
Mamoru did as he was told. A gleeful expression spread over his features. "We're number one at the box office!" he jumped from his seat and pulled me into a hug. I was a little surprised at first, but it soon faded and I returned the hug. "I told you everything would work out. You did great."  
  
"No, Mamo-chan. We did great."  
  
My embrace tightened as I lay my head against his chest. Everything did turn out great. The movie was great, life was great, and even Mamoru was great.  
  
Sure, he still had an ego, but now he was my complete egotistical jerk. And guess what? I wouldn't have him any other way. 


End file.
